National News

Christmas Parade SUV Attack Victim’s Organs to be Donated to Survivors

November 24, 2021

By The Tablet Staff

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — A woman who was killed in the Waukesha, Wisconsin, Christmas Parade SUV attack is giving the gift of life to survivors of the tragedy.

Some of Jane Kulich’s organs will be donated to people who survived the deadly incident, the People.com website reported Nov. 23.

WISCONSIN PARADE TRAGEDY
A person in Waukesha, Wis., walks past a police car blocking Main Street Nov. 22, 2021, the morning after a car raced through a holiday parade. Five people died at the scene and a sixth victim, a child, died Nov. 23. (Photo: CNS/Cheney Orr, Reuters)

“I know Jane is smiling for this!” Kulich’s sister-in-law Shawn Kulich said in an interview.

Jane Kulich, 52, was one of six people killed when suspect Darrell E. Brooks, 39, allegedly drove into the city’s annual Christmas gathering of marchers and spectators on Nov. 21. Sixty-two people were injured in the carnage that followed. 

Kulich was handing out candy to parade spectators when Brooks’ red SUV came barreling through the parade, hitting those walking or standing, according to charges filed.

She was described by her family as a regular churchgoer who doted on her children and grandchildren, had a heart of gold, and was a big fan of the Green Bay Packers.

Friends of Kulich started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help her family with funeral costs. They set a fundraising goal of $20,000, and $16,440 of which had been raised by Nov. 24. One anonymous person donated $1,000.

To learn more, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/paying-tribute-to-jane.

Many of the donors wrote touching tributes to Kulich on the GoFundMe page.

jane go fund me
Donors wrote tributes to Kulich on her GoFundMe page. The organizer described her as “a loving, beautiful and charismatic mother, grandmother and friend to so many.” (Photo: GoFundMe)

“Jane was family to me and my family,” John Osorio wrote. “Through the years we stayed in touch, and I will miss her so much!!! My love and support goes out to her kids and grandchildren.They were her world, and she was so proud of them.”

Brooks was arrested and charged with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide. He was ordered held on $5 million cash bail. 

The sixth victim, 8-year-old Jackson Sparks, died Nov. 23 — two days after the attack. Prosecutors announced they would seek a sixth count of intentional homicide against Brooks.