A fundraiser is being organized for one of the survivors from the crash last Wednesday.
In the early morning hours of July 21, Michelle Guest, a Maple Ridge resident, was woken by a call from the Ridge Meadows RCMP informing her that her 13 year-old daughter, Taeya, had been in a rollover crash, and was ejected from the vehicle. They asked her to get to the B.C. Children’s Hospital immediately to identify her.
“She had no ID on her, so first I had to ID her,” said Guest. “It was the longest one hour of my life getting to the children’s hospital.”
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Taeya was brought home on July 26 and she took her first few steps after the crash, sending waves of relief through the family.
“It is still a very long road for her recovery. She has had injuries to the front and back of her pelvis, puncture wounds and several other injuries. Her recovery and rehab is going to take time,” Guest said.
The fundraiser, which is being organized on GoFundMe by Guest’s sister, will specifically help the family with the medical costs for Taeya.
According to the GoFundMe page, Taeya “suffered serious injuries and defied all odds by surviving. A guardian angel was with her. Unfortunately the driver didn’t have a legal license voiding the insurance. We are all so relieved that Taeya will recover and LIVE. However, she has a long road to recovery and requires a lot of rehab and care. Let’s help her family give her the care she needs to make a full recovery.”
So far, the fundraiser has raised $6,448 towards Taeya’s recovery.
“I am just so touched with how much the community has come together for us in this. This incident has shown me there is still a lot of good people out there,” said Guest.
Taeya was first taken to Royal Columbian Hospital but they didn’t want to operate on her because she was so little. Once they stabilized her, they transferred her to the children’s hospital.
The incident took place at 256 Street and 98 Avenue and was described by the RCMP as “low speed” involving three occupants, one of whom was airlifted for treatment.
To make a donation to the fundraiser go to: https://gofund.me/f6f6e5c1
- With files from Colleen Flanagan
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