Dear friends, family, and community members,

My name is Bethlehem, and I am organizing this fundraiser on behalf of two of my close friends who were recently involved in a serious car accident. They are hardworking students at the University of San Diego and have chosen to remain anonymous, but I have seen firsthand how deeply this situation has impacted them.

After getting permission from their roomate to use her car for the day, my friends drove to the Los Angeles area for a concert on the 13th of February. While trying to find a place to charge their phone after the event, they were involved in a head-on collision. Thankfully, no life-threatening injuries were reported, but both vehicles were completely totaled. Not only are they still processing the shock of such a traumatic accident, but they are now also facing significant emotional and financial stress that they were not prepared for.

They immediately went to the emergency room after returning to San Diego because they reported neck and back pain, and were left with a $500 medical bill, even though they were told to simply manage the pain with Tylenol. We are still waiting to hear from insurance about the exact out-of-pocket costs they owe for damages to the other vehicle, the bodily injury claim from the other party, and the loss of the car itself. What we do know is that the financial burden will be significant.

These two students are deeply involved in their campus. They are leaders in several student organizations, have fellowship positions, and work for various departments across campus. They are close to completing their second year at USD while already working hard to afford tuition and living expenses. This car accident has added financial stress that they weren’t prepared for that has deeply impacted their mental health and sense of stability. It has been incredibly disheartening to see them question their ability to continue their education because of something entirely out of their control. Any funds raised will be used to help cover the cost of replacing their roomate’s vehicle, their emergency room bill, the out-of-pocket insurance costs related to the accident, and transportation in the meantime for all three students who still have school and work responsibilities.

I was moved to start this GoFundMe because I don’t want them to face this alone. Every donation will help relieve the financial pressure they are facing and allow them to focus on healing physically and emotionally, which should be their priority. If you are unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser would mean just as much.

Thank you for taking the time to read their story and for any support you are able to give.