On September 9, my sister Hayli was in a serious head-on crash near McHenry, Illinois. Our family is overwhelmingly grateful that she and her two little ones (ages 3 and 10 months) are alive; it could have been a very different day, and we don’t take that for granted. The first 5 days of recovery have been overwhelming and exhausting for all involved, but we are so grateful that full recovery is going to be possible.

Hayli sustained multiple broken bones, including a fractured femur that required complex surgery. Her recovery will be a marathon—likely 2–4 weeks in the hospital and inpatient rehab, followed by 3–4 months at home with ongoing PT/OT and very limited mobility. Her 3-year-old also had minor surface injuries that required hospital care on the first day. Hayli was a stay at home mom and primary caretaker for her children, while Chris worked full time to support them.

In the short term, Hayli’s husband, Chris, will need to take weeks away from work to care for her and the kids until she’s safe to be home alone. I’m organizing this fundraiser to help stabilize the basics while they focus on healing: childcare support during the hospital/rehab period and early weeks at home, meals and household help while mobility is limited, lost income, and medical expenses for mobility aids and modifications at home.

As her sister, Ashli Self, I’m organizing this fundraiser. All funds will go directly to Hayli and Chris for these needs. If donating isn’t possible, sharing this page truly helps! Once she’s home, gift cards (groceries, gas, Target) or a meal would also make a real difference—I’ll share details here when the time is right.

We are deeply grateful to the bystanders who acted immediately, to those who safely removed and cared for the kids at the scene, and to the first responders and medical teams who have taken such good care of them. Thank you for rallying around this young family from Wonder Lake and for helping my sister, niece, and nephew get the support they need to come home and move forward. I’ll post milestone updates as Hayli recovers.

Article about the crash: https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2025/09/09/elderly-man-killed-2-children-injured-after-head-on-crash-leaves-victims-trapped-near-mchenry/