9 yr old car accident victim Ruby and her family

Paraburdoo and Tom Price locals, many of you already know me. For those of you that don’t, I’m Josh Stevens, and I own and run Pure Mechanical in both towns. Community spirit is at the heart of our towns, so I always try to put something back into the places I’ve called home for over ten years through sponsorship, and lending a helping hand whenever needed. The time has come for me to ask for you to lend a hand in return: Another of our local families, the McKie’s, needs your help.

On Monday 13th of June, I was midway through riding the return leg of the Finke Desert race in the middle of the Alice Springs outback. Renay McKie, a Para local, was there helping me out at my refuelling stop, along with her amazing 9-year-old daughter, Ruby. I was on the racetrack, which has a service road running alongside it. When Ruby saw me pull up, she enthusiastically ran to meet me, neglecting to check the service road for vehicles. Unfortunately, she was struck by an oncoming spectator's four-wheel drive in front of her Mum and me. We frantically attempted to stabilise her for the next hour and a half while awaiting medivac via helicopter.

Currently, Ruby is in ICU in Alice Springs with multiple injuries, including skull fractures, facial fractures, fractured pelvis, and a fractured right femur. Her Mum, Renay, remains by her side. I’m asking our towns to get behind this family so they can focus on Ruby without worrying about money to try and fund accommodation, flights, and living expenses. Ruby’s recovery and eventual rehabilitation will also be long and costly. I hope we, as a community, can ease that financial burden. I want us to assist the bright little girl I know, who loves nothing more than to confound me with her trivia questions, get back on her feet, and home to Paraburdoo.