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Caution note: Some details in this story may be difficult to read.

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A Sudbury-area woman helped start a GoFundMe campaign to support a Cobalt teenager and his family after he was brutally attacked in a Northern Ontario community on Nov. 3.

The girl, Kaylie, was flown to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, her cousin Paige Smith of Nickel Center wrote in the GoFundMe campaign (tinyurl.com/mvdkezn2).

“Around 6 p.m., my 16-year-old younger cousin was getting off the bus and getting ready to go home after work,” Smith wrote. “Her ex-boyfriend… waited at the bus stop until he crossed the road and deliberately hit her with his car.

“He then went out and brutally attacked her with a machete. He cut off his left hand, broke his right arm and hung it with ribbons. “He continued to dismember him by hitting his body and head with the machete.”

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Smith wrote that he fled the scene, “left her to die, and was turned over to the police by her mother.”

Kaylie survived 16 hours of brain surgery.

“Only time will tell the story of your journey,” Smith wrote. “Kaylie is doing well for now and her family is in Ottawa. Kaylie is strong, resilient and very loved. We pray and hope for her recovery.”

People opened their hearts and wallets to the campaign. A note from GoFundMe said the initiative is currently “the highest trending campaign on our platform.”

As of the afternoon of November 7, the campaign had surpassed its $50,000 goal, having raised approximately $62,065 from 875 donations.

Smith said the money raised will be used to “pay for gas, hotel, food and possibly a rental car for Cindy (Kaylie’s mother) and cover expenses as she will be away from work to be with her daughter.”

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“This will also be used to cover legal costs and anything Kaylie may need going forward as a result of this tragedy. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”

Smith also asked his supporters to contact Crown counsel in Haileybury to “argue that this is not another catch and release. (He) needs to stay behind bars to protect our other innocent young people.”

An 18-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after a horrific attack on a girl.

On Nov. 3 at approximately 6 p.m., the OPP Temiskaming detachment responded to a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of Helen Street and Prospect Boulevard in Cobalt.

The investigation revealed that an argument broke out between an 18-year-old teenager and a 16-year-old woman, resulting in life-threatening injuries and hospitalization.

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Investigators said they believe this was an isolated incident and there are no concerns for public safety.

18-year-old man charged with attempted murder; aggravated assault; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; and breach of conditional sentence order.

He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Haileybury on November 12.

Police did not release the name of the defendant to protect the identity of the victim.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call Temiskaming OPP at 1-888-310-1122. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or at ontariocrimestoppers.ca. You may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

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