Help the Lightning Family Rebuild After Car Accident

The last thing i remember was the deafening BANG before i even knew what happened.

Hello, we are the Lightning family. Yes, that's really our last name. On May 8, 2025, my family was in a car accident where someone failed to stop at a stop sign and t-boned us. In the car were my newborn son, 7-year-old daughter, my husband, and myself. Luckily, my 4-year-old daughter wasn't in our car, but she has definitely been impacted by the aftereffects.

We had finally had a car that could safely fit our entire family. We spent every last dollar we could save, and with our tax money, we got our van and then put work into it to make sure it was in perfect condition.

We live in a small town out east in Colorado, and absolutely nothing is accessible by just walking except a small-town grocery store where prices typically run high.

For the first couple of weeks, the car insurance company gave us a rental car but then abruptly took it away because they came to a number that they would offer us. They offered us 1/5 of what we paid for the van and were not even willing to look at receipts for the work we put into it. Essentially, they have left us completely stranded.

We aren't people who like to admit defeat and ask for help, but there comes a time when I think everyone needs help.

Currently, we are stuck without a vehicle, with no way to get any of my 3 children or ourselves to doctor's appointments of any kind. We are falling behind on bills and have no one we can ask for help.

We know times are tough for everyone, but we are struggling to keep our heads above water, trying to stay strong for our children so they don't know how bad it really is.

We have a lawyer for the injury side of things, so I can't share what all has really happened during and since the accident (injury-wise).

In a split second, everything was taken from us. We thank God every day we still have our children's lives and our lives, but it's just not the same as it was before. We are just trying to raise money so that we can have a vehicle again and help us with our bills so we don't truly lose everything we have worked for.If anyone out there can help, anything truly helps and everything will go towards a vehicle first.