Boy, 9, Loses Prosthetic Leg on Vacation. Hours After Asking for Help, Family Raises Enough for New One (Exclusive)

“It happened so quickly,” a grateful Monica Swindall tells PEOPLE

Monica Swindall

Jayce, 9, who lost his prosthetic leg during a recent family trip to the beach” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Bjd019Y5kEc2ay3gBGQciQ–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/people_218/66967eb6dab865d979e0dcd57bcb11d1″/>Monica Swindall

Jayce, 9, who lost his prosthetic leg during a recent family trip to the beach” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Bjd019Y5kEc2ay3gBGQciQ–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/people_218/66967eb6dab865d979e0dcd57bcb11d1″ class=”caas-img”/>

A Texas grandmother says she’s grateful for the overwhelming response to an online fundraiser she started after her grandson lost his prosthetic leg in the Gulf of Mexico.

When Monica Swindall and her family set out for Galveston from their hometown of Waco on Sunday, July 28, the goal was a fun, family vacation, she tells PEOPLE.

But when her 9-year-old grandson Jayce, who has special needs, lost his leg in his excitement to get in the water, the family was devastated.

Related: Man Finds 10-Year-Old Boy’s Missing Locket Containing Mom’s Ashes: ‘Failure Was Not an Option’

Wanting to help, Swindall posted about what happened on a local group on Facebook in hopes that someone would be able to find it. But with the new school year fast approaching, the Swindall family quickly realized Jayce would need a new prosthetic leg — and fast. So, she created a GoFundMe on Wednesday, July 31.

In a message on the fundraising site, Monica said she contacted North Texas-based Stability Prosthetics, who did what they could to help the family.

“They are only charging us $7,000 for a new one and I know it should be a lot more,” she wrote. (According to The Washington Postprosthetic limbs typically cost between $5,000 to over $50,000.)

Related: 14-Month-Old Boy Rescued After Falling into Underground Pipe – Then Has Emotional Reunion with Mom

Swindall went on to say that for Jayce’s parents, who are currently expecting a new baby, the prosthetic, while necessary, was even more difficult to pay for.

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Fortunately, just hours after posting the family’s story, the fundraiser exceeded its $7,000 goal to get Jayce a new prosthesis.

“It happened so quickly, within five hours,” Swindall tells PEOPLE about the online support.

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Now, Jayce is ready to stand poised for the new school year.

“Everybody was so amazing,” Monica says. “I hated seeing my grandson without his leg, and I hated seeing my son upset that it was gone. But we got through it. It’s going to be good. I’ll just say God is good.”

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