Help Support Our Miriam!

Born in Minnesota, Miriam Clayton is 27 years old and is the beautiful daughter of Priscilla Clayton and Charlie Koch, a loving sister to Elliot Koch, and a very special family member and friend to many.

On September 15th, Miriam was a victim of a horrific and violent hit-and-run attack in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  The driver ran a red light at a high speed and hit Miriam, leaving her with severe head and brain trauma.  Miriam was left in a coma in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, New York.

Due to the severity of the injury, Miriam underwent an invasive and intense 8-hour surgery on September 23rd to repair her skull.  The surgeons needed to realign her fractured and broken skull using titanium plates.  Miriam has already made remarkable progress in the short time since her accident, but her brain is damaged and swollen.  She will soon begin a traumatic brain injury rehabilitation regimen at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, where we know she will continue to amaze us.

Miriam’s road to recovery will see her needing ongoing medical and family support.  Our goal is to raise money for Miriam and her family.  First and foremost, the money that we raise will go towards Miriam’s medical expenses and additional expenses (travel, work leave, day to day costs) that her family will incur as a result of this unfortunate incident.  Any remaining money will go directly to Miriam to help and support her on her path to recovery when she leaves the hospital.

When incidents like this happen, it’s easy to forget the additional costs that pile up.  It’s these costs that add deep distress to families.  This fund will help to ease these added worries for Miriam’s family, and help them to be by Miriam’s side, to hold her hand throughout her entire recovery.

On behalf of Miriam’s family, I want to thank everyone -- relatives, friends, medical staff, and even perfect strangers -- for supporting Miriam.  It’s inspiring to see everyone coming together to help this beautiful girl in her recovery.

For weekly updates on Miriam’s progress and to leave messages of support and photos for Miriam, please visit: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/miriamclayton.

Here’s to a speedy recovery.  We’ve got you Miriam!

Love,

Miriam’s family & friends