The parents of Benny Mbombo, the 2-year-old who slipped out of his Far North Side apartment and was found dead in a nearby retention pond, are unsure how they will afford the expenses for his funeral.
Benny, who went out the front door while his mother and older brothers were getting ready for church on Sept. 27, did not have any life insurance, his parents said.
A family friend is collecting donations for Benny's parents at gofundme.com/f/support-bennys-family-after-his-loss.
A previously created fundraiser is on gofundme.com reported to be for the family of "Beeny Mbo," how police misspelled Benny's name initially in public announcements about him going missing. That fundraiser is a fraud and not connected to them, Benny's parents said.
Benny's parents, Marthe Mukwama Mupeka and Copain Kabinyanga, said they are thankful for any help. The couple immigrated to the United States from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018 and Kabinyanga drives a truck. They have two other sons who are 5 and 7.
When Mupeka spoke with The Dispatch in French this week, she broke down talking about Benny, who liked to dance, sing and share his snacks.
“I feel so broken. Like there is nothing inside of me,” Mupeka said. “How can I go to sleep with three of my babies and wake up with only two? I can not understand.”
Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus family seeks funeral help, warns of fraud after child's drowning
