On the morning of October 16th, 14-year-old Ella — a freshman at Lemon Bay High School — was struck by a car while riding her bike.

She was airlifted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, where she underwent surgery to repair two breaks in her pelvis. Three screws were placed — two in the back and one in the front — and she can currently only put partial weight on her right leg. She also had four stitches to reattach her earlobe to her face, suffered multiple broken bones in her hand, a fractured wrist, and two fractured ribs.

Through it all, Ella has shown incredible strength and bravery. She’s a bright light — full of laughter, kindness, and talent. She plays clarinet in her school band and brings joy to everyone around her. Sadly, both her bike and clarinet were destroyed in the accident, adding to an already heartbreaking situation.

Our family is staying by Ella’s side as she recovers, which means time away from home and work. The hospital is over an hour and a half from where we live, and expenses for medical care, travel, meals, and lost income are quickly adding up.

We’ve created this GoFundMe to help ease some of those financial burdens so we can focus on what matters most — helping Ella heal. Every donation, prayer, and share truly means the world to us.

On behalf of our entire family, thank you for the outpouring of love, support, and prayers. We feel your kindness surrounding us. ❤️

Please also keep the young driver involved in your prayers. This has been a traumatic situation for everyone, and we’re praying for peace and healing for all hearts affected.

With love and gratitude,

The Howell Family