Help sought for injured Marine's family

Antioch officials are asking for donations to support the family of critically injured Marine Cpl. John Peck so they can be with him at his bedside in Bethesda, Md.

Peck, a 2004 graduate of Antioch High School, is in a coma in the intensive care unit at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, having lost all four limbs after being treated for injuries resulting from a roadside bomb on May 24 in Afghanistan.

Village officials created a fund Thursday morning to support Peck's family and allow them to be with him.

"Hundred and hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars are going into the fund today," Antioch Trustee Dennis Crosby said.

Peck's family lives in Antioch Township and includes his wife Kristen, two sisters, and parents Zenio and Lisa Krutyholowa. Those still in Illinois had planned on driving to see him June 24, but were rushed to O'Hare International Airport late Wednesday by the Lake County sheriff's department after hearing word that Peck might not survive the night, according to an e-mail from William White, Peck's sergeant when he joined the Marines.

Peck, 24, was awarded his second purple heart Wednesday. The first was presented to him following his original tour in Iraq after he was wounded by a roadside bomb about three years ago.

White was told by Peck's mother that her son's case was identified as one of the worst the hospital has seen in two years.

"This isn't his first time over there; it's his second," Antioch Mayor Larry Hanson said. "His dream of being a police officer is gone."

The community has offered an outpouring of support after hearing about the family's situation, Crosby said.

"Word got out before you know it," Hanson said. "In a restaurant people were giving me 10- and 20-dollar bills. One man gave me a 100-dollar bill on the spot."

Crosby said he was originally contacted by Richard Daniels, an attorney who regularly works with Marines, about finding a way to help the family make the trip to Bethesda.

"I received a call from John's original recruiter who told me the family needs some help," Daniels said. "I contacted the mayor and he's been working on it for the past 24 hours."

The donations are going toward travel, living expenses and anything else the family needs, Crosby said.

"It's really sad when we have to deal with these issues, but we do," Hanson said. "That's what this country is all about - people. People band together in tough times."

Donations for the "CPL John Peck Fund" can be deposited in his name at The State Bank of the Lakes, at 440 Lake St. in Antioch.

Helping: Recruiter, attorney helped make fund possible