PORTAGE, Wis. -- An 11-year-old boy in Portage who police said endured repeated torture in cult-like surroundings is finally getting some good news.

Concerned volunteers have raised more than $18,000 through a series of fundraisers and corporate matching funds.

Some donors said that they were happy to give because the stories of child abuse brought tears to their eyes.

Police said that they found the boy on June 14 suffering from severe burns and malnutrition. The next day, the boy's mother was found buried in the back yard, apparently the victim of strangulation.

Three other children ages 2 and younger were also found in the house.

Four people have been charged with being party to the woman's killing and to the abuse inflicted on the boy.

One Red Cross volunteer participating in a recent brat-sale fundraiser said that a lot of people said they weren't hungry but they still donated $5 or $10 to the cause.