UPPER MAHANOY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Wellington Shaffer celebrated his 7th birthday last Thursday at his family's farm near Dalmatia. Just two days later, he was involved in a terrible accident involving a piece of farm equipment.
According to the Hickory Corners and Community fire chief, Wellington fell into a trailer of corn Saturday evening. He was trapped in the grain. Wellington was eventually pulled from the bottom of the trailer and flown to the hospital.
"It just hit me in the pit of my stomach," Nolan Masser said.
Masser is a close family friend of the Shaffers. He says Wellington is in critical condition, and friends are praying for a miracle.
"We're praying for a complete recovery for him, and we think that God will provide that," Masser said.
Wellington is a first grader at Northumberland Christian School. His favorite color is orange, so many of his classmates wore orange to school.
"He is just the sweetest little guy. You know the kind of guy that will just come up and give you a hug," Pastor John Rees said.
Students made cards and signed a poster for Wellington. The Dalmatia community is coming together to help. There was a prayer vigil and area farmers are stepping in.
"A group of farmers got together, and they're getting a plan together to harvest their crops while the family deals with this, so that's one less load that they'll have to bear," Masser said.
Friends say the Shaffer family attends Grace Community Church in Herndon, and it is their faith that is getting them through this.
"Lots of tears, lots of hugs. They're precious, and they're going through a really hard time," Rees said.
"No one would want to go through what the Shaffer family is going through right now," Masser said.
There is a GoFundMe page for the Shaffer family, but friends say what the Shaffers need most right now are prayers.