
Survivor Needs Help to Heal
Donation protected
My niece, Lana Gist, is 23. Beautiful, isn't she?
Right now, as I'm typing this, she is lying heavily sedated in a hospital bed --- her mom/my sister, Tonia, holding her hand --- awaiting reconstructive surgery (the first of probably many) to her shattered jaw and chin, repair to her fractured nose and sinus. They may have to remove teeth to complete the repair and help her retain function. She also has a skull fracture, broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung, a lacerated liver, broken collar bone, probable neck and spinal fractures.
It would take less time probably to list the bones that AREN'T broken.
How Did She Get Here?
There was an assault involving her boyfriend of three years...a man she loved and who was supposed to love her. And then Lana was run over by a vehicle.
In the wee hours before sunrise on Christmas Eve, there was a heated argument. Lana had clothes and belongings in her car, suggesting she was trying to leave.
We don't know much more than that. And there is an ongoing criminal investigation.
We know a bystander called 911.
I know the questions that come into people's minds in stories like this...what were they fighting about? Did she hit back? Why didn't she leave ages ago? Listen carefully when I say, NONE OF THE ANSWERS MATTER.
Here is the only answer that does matter: NO.
Do women earn a broken jaw by being 'mouthy'? NO. Are women asking for months of surgery and physical therapy by shoving back when they are shoved? NO. Do women have to fit some imagined ideal of sweetness and innocence to deserve your empathy, to deserve to be treated as human beings, to deserve justice for being abused? To deserve better? NO. NO. NO.
How Can You Help?
Lana is going to have a long road to recovery. We don't even know the full extent of her injuries yet. Her condition is marked 'stable' but she is still on a ventilator and heavily sedated because of the pain. She is fighting infection with IV antibiotics. She has a brain injury that we won't know the full extent or effects of for weeks or months.
Medical bills, copays, legal expenses possibly...all these and more unforeseeable practical expenses are going to be extremely significant. But beyond even that, we love Lana. Lana is OUR GIRL. The first grandchild for my parents. The first child to my sister (and a longed-for miracle at that!). None of us want her to come out of this and feel stuck. We want to help her land on her feet and have the greatest gift we can give her in this situation...OPTIONS!
Contributions to this fundraiser will help with medical and other practical expenses, but will also create a SOFT LANDING for Lana to start new and not feel like money is keeping her from moving on with her life.
We can help Lana...
- Move into a place of her own, somewhere SAFE.
- Take the time off from work that she needs to start healing from the physical and emotional trauma.
- Replace belongings that may be ruined or may have to be left behind to stay safe.
- Pay for ongoing physical therapy.
- Afford ongoing psychological therapy to help process this trauma.
- Make civil/legal actions possible.
*****
About Lana
Lana was born the same year I graduated from high school. My sister, Tonia, had been trying for years to have a baby and had undergone heartbreak and exhausting fertility efforts to bring Lana into the world. She gave Lana my middle name. She was the first grandbaby. She was gorgeous and sweet and we all loved her fiercely AND STILL DO!
Here's the girl you are helping....
When she was 3, she had a pet chick whom she named Barbeque Chicken. She loved to be outside and you could hardly keep shoes on her. She was this adorable little country girl likely to be in a pair of overalls anytime you saw her. She loved Barney (much to my chagrin). She loves her Mama dearly, but is a Daddy's girl at heart. She loved her grandpa so so much and was a little bit broken when he passed.
She grew up into a FORCE. She is fearless. She's a horseback riding, drag strip racing, turtle rescuing, tattoo-loving, truth-speaking, helluva gal. She is loyal (sometimes to a fault). She's a fierce friend.
She is also a person. She has made mistakes. Some of them big, some of them small. She has the sharp tongue and quick temper that runs in a streak about a mile-wide through the ladies in our family. But she also has a heart so big and so dear.
She is a person. She is flawed. She is perfect to those of us lucky enough to love her. And she needs our help right now.
Organizer and beneficiary
Amanda Shafer
Organizer
Vander, NC
Tonia Gist
Beneficiary