UPDATE - Feb. 7, 2015: Doug Weaver said in an update that his son was able to smile a few times, and follow a story with his eyes. The baby is wearing a mask that helps him breathe, but doctors hope to be able to remove it in a few days and move him out of the intensive care unit.
The seven-month-old boy who was rescued from a Vancouver Island river is slowly coming off life support, said an update from his father.
Grant Weaver has been in critical condition in hospital since he was found floating in the fast-flowing Puntledge River with his mother, Veronika Weaver, 26, last week. Despite rescuers rushing to the scene after multiple emergency calls from witnesses, Veronika didn't survive.
On Thursday, Doug Weaver posted an update on a fundraising page for his son:
"It appears Grant is going to make it. He is slowly coming off life support but his brain function is still undetermined. The progress is slow and changes almost hour by hour. Again he will make it but it is unclear what that may look like moving forward. Either way, I am excited."
A stranger set up the GoFundMe page to help the family. She eventually made contact with Weaver, who has since been providing updates on the site.
The Weavers are from Comox and baby Grant is currently in the BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver.
Donors have pledged more than $12,000 to help the baby boy, well over the initial goal of $5,000.
Doug Weaver said he'll be looking for work this summer. He had taken a contract with the school district that ends in June because his wife had landed a full-time job.
"Everything has changed," he told supporters.
The B.C. Coroners Service is investigating how the mom and son ended up in the river, including "anything from a tragic fall to post-partum depression [and] psychosis."
Baby Grant Weaver
