Madeline Gaudreau, the wife of Matthew Gaudreau — who was killed while on a bike ride with his brother, Johnny, on Thursday — is pregnant with their first child.
Madeline’s sister, Holland Korbitz, set up a GoFundMe page to support her and her unborn baby on Friday and expressed the family’s heartache.
“In this unimaginably difficult time, we are coming together to support Matthew’s wife, Madeline and their growing baby Tripp, and help alleviate some of the financial burdens they now face,” she penned on the fundraising page.
“Your support will allow them the time to take off work to grieve and heal as a family.”
As of Friday evening, the page has raised more than $150,000 for Madeline and Tripp.
Furthermore, a baby registry for Tripp is live on Babylist.
Both the registry and Korbitz confirmed Tripp’s due date is in December.
While Madeline’s social media is private, she can be seen holding onto her growing belly in a photo shared on Katie Gaudreau’s Instagram page.
Katie — Matthew and Johnny’s sister — was set to get married on Friday. Her wedding was canceled following the devastating death of her brothers.
Matthew and Johnny were killed Thursday night by a suspected drunk driver who struck them with his Jeep as they were biking along County Route 551 in Salem County, N.J.
The suspect, Sean M. Higgins, was taken into police custody and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide.
He admitted to consuming five to six beers before getting behind the wheel, according to an affidavit submitted by a New Jersey state trooper.
“Last night we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, two brothers, two sons and brothers in law, two nephews, two cousins, two family members, two teammates, two friends but truly two amazing human beings,” Matthew and Johnny’s uncle shared in a statement on X Friday on behalf of the devastated families involved.
“We want to let everyone know we are receiving your messages of love and support and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers.”
The message concluded, “We ask for your continued respect and privacy during this very difficult period of grief.”
Matthew married Madeline in 2021.
Johnny, who played hockey professionally for the Calgary Flames and then the Columbus Blue Jackets, is survived by his wife, Meredith Gaudreau, and their two children: Noa, 1, and Johnny, 6 months.
He and Matthew were expected to be groomsmen for their sister Katie’s fiance, Devin Joyce, before their tragic deaths.