Support Janel on Her Road to Recovery

Dear Friends and Family,

Life can change in the blink of an eye... and it can happen to anyone. As many of you know, Janel is a devoted wife and a mother to two wonderful boys and has spent over 20 years mastering her craft as a hairstylist. In recent years, she decided to pursue her passion for helping others by going back to school to become an Occupational Therapist. She’s been working tirelessly and is set to graduate this coming May 2025—a milestone she’s worked so hard to achieve.

But tragically, just days away from her 40th birthday (Dec. 26th) and the Christmas holiday, Janel was involved in a severe car accident 12/16 around 5:30 PM EST.

According to Elyria police, a 2011 Mazda CX-7 driven by a 76-year-old man was traveling east on 90 toward the Route 57 exit. At the same time, 2020 Mazda CX-5 was being driven westbound by a 39-year-old woman (Janel Dovala). The CX-7 went left of center, hit a sign in the median and went into the westbound lanes, where it hit the CX-5 head-on. Both vehicles were heavily damaged, and Pronesti said it took about 20 minutes for firefighters to extricate the three people involved in the crash from their vehicles. Full Story Here

The crash left her with numerous injuries (updated 12/20: two broken femurs, two left arm fractures, rib, contusion on kidney, laceration on lung, and helical fracture on 1&2 vertebrae) that will require a long and challenging recovery process. Her ability to work, care for her family, and continue her studies has been deeply affected.

While we are so grateful that she is still with us, the road ahead will not be easy. From medical bills and rehabilitation to lost income and support for her boys, the financial burden is immense.

This is where we hope you can help. We’ve set up this GoFundMe to ease the load on Janel and allow her to focus fully on healing and regaining her strength. Any contribution, big or small, will go directly toward her recovery, medical expenses, and providing for her family during this difficult time.

For those who know Janel, you know her strength, determination, and the love she pours into everything she does—whether it’s her work, her studies, or her role as an amazing mom, daughter, sister and friend. Now, she needs our love and support more than ever.

Please consider donating and sharing this campaign with others who know and care about Janel. Together, we can help her get back on her feet and celebrate not just her 40th birthday but the many brighter days ahead.

Other ways to help (meal train, transportation, etc.): Janel's GiveInKind page

We will continue to keep friends and family informed on her recovery here and on Facebook for those connected with us.

With gratitude,

The Palacios Sisters