By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
HILLSBOROUGH — For Regina and Dan Gaudreau, of Hillsborough, the outpouring of support from friends and strangers over the past two months has been overwhelming in the wake of tragedy that has struck their family both personally and professionally.
But the donations will continue at the Junior Skylands Football Conference, on Triangle Road, Saturday, when they are the recipients of several thousands of dollars in raffle ticket funds. The money will be donated to the Gaudreau family by the Hunterdon Jr. Devils, a team that the Hillsborough Jr. Raiders helped organize.
”This is much appreciated and everyone has been so kind,” Ms. Gaudreau said. She said her four children have all been part of the Jr. Raiders, either playing football or cheerleading. “It’s been overwhelming.”
Tragedy first struck the family during the Labor Day weekend when their 12-year-old son, Daniel, suffered an asthma attack and died en route to St. Peters Children’s Hospital, in New Brunswick. At the hospital, doctors were able to revive Daniel, but he was without oxygen for more than 10 minutes.
Daniel, who is now at a children’s rehabilitation center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, suffered brain damage, but Ms. Gaudreau said the doctors do not yet know the extent of it.
”He made eye contact with me (Tuesday) and it was like I had won the lottery,” she said. “But it’s still (always) two steps forward, 10 steps back.”
After they found out what had happened, members of the Jr. Raiders program, of which Daniel had been a member for about eight years, made sure to visit their teammate and tried to help the family where they could.
”Some have gone to visit Daniel,” said Guy Paolillo, director of football for the Raiders. He said that MRIs done on Daniel have shown a great deal of damage to his brain. “Some are saddened by this, and some are just hopeful he will get better.”
But tragedy struck the family again this month when Mr. Gaudreau, who works at the DeWitt Girl Scout Camp on Montgomery Road lost his job during a reorganization of the camp. As a carpenter with the camp, Mr. Gaudreau and his family received free housing on Montgomery Road, but now that he has lost the job, the family has until December to move out of the house.
Ms. Gaudreau, who works in the cafeteria at Hillsborough High School, said her husband still works as a carpenter in New York City, but his nightly work hours have kept him away from the family.
When the Hunterdon Jr. Devils heard about the Gaudreau’s situation, Mr. Paolillo said, they wanted to find a way to help the family, and decided to donate funds from a 50/50 raffle drawing.
”They will donate the money in a presentation to the family just before the game against Hillsborough,” Mr. Paolillo said of the raffle, which sold 100 tickets for $100 each. “Half will go to the winner of the raffle and half to the Gaudreau family.”
As for the Jr. Raiders, Mr. Paolillo said the team continues to support the family and is currently waiting to see what they will need in terms of equipment or care for Daniel in the future before hosting their own fundraiser.
”People are constantly saying we can do things for them,” Mr. Paolillo said. He said several of the team members want to put a tape together of messages from the Raiders, which Daniel’s family can play for him. “We want to see what Daniel will need in the future and then we can raise money for that.”
Ms. Gaudreau said she is very appreciative of the monetary donation from the Hunterdon Jr. Devils and all the support coming from the members of the Jr. Raiders Youth Association, including a basket of gift cards and other items that was recently given to her family after a Raiders football game. She said she is also grateful to the members of Mary Mother of God Church where she attends services, and so many neighbors and friends.
”People have been making dinners for us, giving anonymous donations,” she said. “I want to thank everyone, and for their thoughts and prayers. We appreciate everything and everyone’s been so generous.”
Anyone interested in contributing to the Gaudreau family can e-mail Mr. Paolillo at [email protected] for more information.

