...and a total stranger from what I can tell.
I'm not certain that they really collected all that much from what I can tell. I think many of the lurkers on the FB page talk a big game but that's about it. Looks like they only came up with about $500 from what I can gather.
As much as my heart goes out to this poor child, I can't bring myself to donate although I could make a significant donation. Sometimes I feel bad about that, but I've been watching that page since day one and it all just doesn't sit right with me.
ITA. If in doubt of making private donations to the family or other private businesses... may I suggest making a donation to Yavapai's SAR? Most SAR's nationwide are nonprofit and/or volunteer, and Yavapai is pretty drained now. You could even earmark it for a certain type of SAR mission, such as active cases or children, etc. And it would be tax deductible!
http://www.ycsrt.org