My name is Kim Driscoll. I am a local coordinator with ICES and have been involved with high school foreign exchange for over 20 years. Many students have come into the small communities of Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas over the years. They learn what it's like to be a part of a real American family in a tight-knit community, knowing every student and teacher in our schools and even bringing their culture to us in the short time they are here. It's a wonderful experience for everyone.

When tragedy strikes, our communities rally together where there is a need. One of my students, Maria Requin from Brazil, was in a very serious auto accident with her host mother, Shelby Ledesma, and two younger host sisters. We all know our dirt roads during harvest can be very dangerous. A corn truck in front of them had been lost in all the dirt from two other trucks passing by on a busy dirt road. Before the dirt could clear, the truck in front of them had stopped, and they were unable to avoid hitting the back of the trailer. Maria sustained a broken back, and her host mom and sister had serious injuries as well, gaining them all a flight to Denver where they were taken very good care of and are now back home recovering.

Because of the generous people in our small community and surrounding towns, Maria, who was set to have to fly back to Brazil, was able to come back home to Bethune to return to her friends and eventually home with her host family and school.

We all know the medical bills that add up so fast with an accident and injuries such as this. Maria's auto and health insurance have all been maxed out with a large amount still being owed by her family in Brazil. For those who don't know, the Brazilian dollar is very small compared to the US dollar, so it is even more expensive for her, and because she isn't an American citizen, she doesn't qualify for government assistance.

In her words,

"I am so sad that my dream has to end like this. But I will still need good months of physical therapy, until I get 100% back, and it’s so sad that we just can’t afford it here."

In her three months of becoming a true member of her host family, a wonderful student at Bethune school, and a friend to all the students, Maria is loved beyond measure, and to see her give up just because they couldn't afford it was not an option for me. I am working with many people trying to give her what she needs physically, but her parents still owe a lot of money for her flight, surgery, hospital stay, medicine, and so much more.

I want to be able to help. With a few people giving what we can will let her know that she is loved and a part of great American family, school, and community here in Bethune. This is her home for another seven months. It will forever be a place where she can come back to her second family and friends who care for her very deeply. I want to show her how much she means to us and show her family what a great opportunity they have given her to come this far away from home as an exchange student and know when accidents happen, we don't just send them home, we bring them closer.