A Wisconsin 17-year-old teen, Evelyn Laux, suffered a terrible car crash while driving a truck in Nebraska. on Friday, January 3. She lost control of the vehicle and caused it to roll. While Laux survived the crash, she suffered a severe spine injury. Unfortunately, Laux's life has changed forever, as she is now paralyzed from the waist down. Heartbreakingly, her first words when waking up following the accident were to say she was sorry.
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"I am so sorry. I will never be able to play softball, ride a horse, or be a veterinary surgeon," Evelyn Laux said to her parents, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up by them.
The accident took place in Nebraska, and Evelyn was accompanied by her friend. The latter was inside the truck when the crash took place. According to Laux's parents, Evelyn overcorrected her vehicle and lost control of it, rolling as a result. Her friend was thrown out of the vehicle but only suffered minor scratches. However, Evelyn's injuries were drastically worse.
"Evelyn was thrown into the backseat and pinned in a twisted position until the amazing rescue workers were able to remove her from the vehicle using the jaws of life," the fundraiser page reads.
Evelyn's parents were alerted by Evelyn's phone and by the Life360 app. However, they had to drive for nine hours since they were at their home in Wisconsin. Eventually, they heard the bad news from a neurosurgeon.
"The neurosurgeon told us that it was not a life-threatening injury, and she was going to be okay, but she was going to be paralyzed, likely as her spine was literally broke in half," Evelyn's parents said. The neurosurgeon successfully "fused her mangled spine back together," but Evelyn was left paralyzed for the rest of her life.
Life-Changing Event
Evelyn Laux and her family have since received an incredible amount of support from family, friends, and random supporters across the internet. They have raised short of $90,000 and are very appreciative of the help received.
"The outpouring of love has just been so overwhelming. I'm so appreciative," Evelyn's mother, Connie, told WISN. "The Milwaukee area is just full of love when it comes to something like this, and we're so grateful."
However, they will need to adjust their lives to accommodate the new reality of their daughter. However, Evelyn's parent's love for her daughter fuels their efforts to "encourage [Evelyn] and give her positive things to look forward to."
