Support the Westfall family's journey to healing

On New Year’s Eve, Tatum (8) and Tanner (5) Westfall were in a serious car accident while driving with their dad and grandparents which left everyone involved with severe injuries. While Tatum and Tanner are now at home healing from their physical injuries, they will be emotionally and mentally processing the additional complexities and layered, deep, grief surrounding the accident for the rest of their lives.

As the family begins to navigate their healing journey, Tatum and Tanner’s mom, Sara, prepares for the financial strain that a tragedy like this bears and needs community support.

Preparing to become the sole provider for her kids as a single mom, Sara will need financial support to directly contribute towards the ongoing hospital, doctor and surgical fees, grief and trauma support for the kids, legal fees, and additional expenses needed so she can be fully present for her children during this time.

Any and all donations are greatly appreciated and will go a long way in supporting the family during this difficult time.

A note from Sara:

Since the accident, I have felt every conceivable emotion. Earth shattering shock after hearing the news. Overwhelming gratitude for the safety of my babies. Heartbreaking sadness for my kids who are beginning to process unimaginable losses resulting from the accident. Heartbreaking sadness for me. And so much anger. An overwhelmingly fiery anger at the dysfunctional systems in this country/world that are failing us all on a collective and individual level. More crises are happening at this moment in time than I can even comprehend, and personally, I feel like the world’s mental health crisis is a throughline through them all.

My anger extends to what feels like an extreme lack of love, compassion, and kindness people have for other humans. I am angry about the lack of resources available for people struggling with their mental health. I am angry by the shame, guilt, fear, and loneliness people face when needing mental health support. I am angry by the lack of honest and transparent conversations around these ‘taboo’ topics and the lack of accountability that follows. I am angry that so many people are made to feel broken because they refuse to fit into a box that society tells them they “should” fit into. I am angry that these people who are made to feel broken are the exact people who have the potential to lead the world to revolution through their creativity, curiosity, self-expression, inquisitiveness, empathy, and brilliant, beautiful ways of being.

Through the torrential storm of emotions that has engulfed me this past month, my anger rages from a fire deep within. And despite its relentless presence, I am choosing to turn my fire into fierce love. I do not believe that anger is the catalyst for change. I believe that only happens with love - while acknowledging what a privilege it is for me to feel safe in my body and environment to be able to hold and express this viewpoint.

This world needs love. This world needs compassion. This world needs acceptance, unity, forgiveness, healing, awareness, accountability, and community. This world needs peace. If it feels safe to do so, please keep choosing it.

I want to acknowledge my position of privilege and power as a white woman and acknowledge that so many people in this world need so much right now. Any amount that you are able to contribute is appreciated more than you know and will directly go towards supporting my family during this challenging time.

I love you and appreciate your support. Be kind. Be love. And please keep choosing curiosity over judgment. You never know what someone is going through.