Help Hadley Rebuild and Recover After Heroic Horse Rescue

A young hero needs your help!

I'm sure a lot of you have seen the video of a young girl rescuing 7 horses from a trailer fire. I would like to give you the back story. Hadley is 15 years old and is an inspiring young barrel racer. Almost every weekend, she's traveling throughout Texas to participate in barrel races, and every day is spent training and caring for her horses. Her winnings go towards tack for her horses, equipment, feed, and all of the other costs involved. Hadley has done well, and everything she has—her winnings, her heart, and her soul—goes into her horses.

Returning from a barrel race on Sunday, May 4th, a delivery van pulled out in front of their truck, which was hauling a large horse trailer transporting 7 horses, onto Hwy 281 outside of Johnson City, Texas. The driver and Hadley's trainer, Ashley Specht, couldn't avoid the delivery truck, and upon collision, the front of the truck caught on fire, spreading to the passenger seat where Hadley was sitting, and then quickly spread out of control. Hadley immediately sustained burns while trying to escape from the passenger side of the truck.

Despite her burns, Hadley and Ashley selflessly went into action to free the horses, despite the danger to themselves. The heat, size, and speed of the fire were intense, but this didn't stop them from getting all 7 horses out of an imminently life-threatening situation. With all of the adrenaline pumping, Hadley didn't realize the seriousness of the burns she had already received. Hadley refused an exam from the EMTs until she had all 7 horses contained and safe. However, upon exam, the burns to her arms and legs were very significant, and she was airlifted to the Austin Burn Center, where she underwent emergency surgery. She is still in the hospital with another surgery scheduled. Courage like this is seldom seen in one so young. She is brave. She is selfless. She is a hero.

Hadley's parents are both self-employed, and the life flight plus accumulating medical bills will be astronomical. Hadley lost everything in the fire that she had worked for—gear, money for entry fees, cellphone, rodeo clothes and boots, her favorite buckle (which was earned in a race), you name it, she lost it. Any help would be appreciated. There is still no set date for her release from the hospital, and we are praying another surgery will not be required.