Fundrasier set up for family of Tipperary 3-year old who died when hit by bus

Sophia's community have rallied around her family to offer support.

A community in Tipperary has launched a GoFundMe for the family of a three-year old who passed away on Tuesday. Sophia Melnychuk was killed after being hit by a bus in Castle Heights, a housing estate in Carrick-on-Suir. The bus driver involved in the collision received treatment from emergency services at the scene of the accident. Since then, Sophia's local community have rallied around the family to offer their support and raise funds for her funeral and other costs. Writing on the page, organiser Lee Murphy said: "On Tuesday the 13th of April our family friends Andriy, Mariya, Maxsum and Denis lost their beautiful little daughter and sister Sophia Melnychuk who was only 3 years old in a tragic accident. "I live in Carrick on Suir my whole life and have never seen such despair or been a part of such heartbreak for a family, they are devastated and cannot believe there little girl Sophia is gone forever." He continued: "We have been close friends with this family a long time and want to support them in any way we can and as best as we can. We have set up this GoFundMe to support the family financially to help with Sophia's funeral and other costs." The fundraiser has already raised over €48,000 so far. The community's local priest Fr Tom Flynn described the incident as a "shocking tragedy", and assured the family that they would be supported by their community. He said: "They are a family that are very much part of the community, a very well liked family and anybody that knows them speaks very highly of them." County Councillor David Dunne spoke highly of the family, and added that he recently visited them: "The family are heartbroken and the community is devastated for them. Her parents are both from Ukraine and the girl had two older brothers. "The family are living in Carrick for a good few years. They are part of a sizeable and hard-working eastern European community in the town. The little girl herself would have been born in South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel."