Daughter of Marine who died in HKIA bombing born

Marine LCpl. Rylee McCollem was only 20-years-old when he was killed in the Aug. 26 ISIS suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Now, after only a few weeks since the HKIA disaster, his daughter takes her first breaths.

Levi Rylee Rose, aptly-named partially after her fallen father, was born yesterday at around 2 a.m., at the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital. She ventured into the world with a healthy weight of 8lbs and 10oz.

In the picture, a plush of her father lays across her feet. Photos like this are as heartbreaking as they are heartwarming, but at least there is some good news too.

Into the Breach Co., a U.S.-based apparel company, created a GoFundMe alongside McCollum’s wife. The fundraising campaign is dedicated specifically to the “education and upbringing” of LCpl. McCollum’s daughter.

The family’s GoFundMe was originally formatted with a $5,000 goal, and has crushed that entirely so far. As of writing this, the GoFundMe has raised $668,966 in total.

To donate to the future of this fallen Marine’s daughter go to their GoFundMe.

LCpl. McCollum was one of 13 others who perished in the ISIS suicide bombing at HKIA near the end of the August withdrawal efforts. Thanks to the efforts of all of those like McCollum, over 122,000 people were able to exit the country following the Taliban takeover of the Afghan government.