Save our little sister Ashley
Donation protected
Please help our little sister Ashley fight for a second chance at life!
Click on the link below to see what happend:
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Local-Woman-Recovering-From-Fiery-Crash-Far-From-Family-464300103.html
Please take just a few minutes to read the story about our beloved Ashley. Even if you can only SHARE the page, you have already helped to make a difference.
If you have any doubts or questions please contact us and we can provide proof.
We will be posting updates on how she is progressing at the end of the page.
What this is about:
This page is for our beloved baby sister, Ashley “Ashtro” Montes. She is a beautiful, creative, crazy, strong and caring soul.
Born and raised in Miami she has a zest for life. She loves trying out new restaurants, singing her heart out at karaokes and dancing till her feet hurt. Everyone who meets her will tell you that they feed off the positive energy she radiates.
Ashley loves and puts her family and friends above all. You can always count on her to listen and support you. No matter what is happening in her life, she gives all of herself to the people who need her. Above all, Ashley is filled to the brim with love.
Now more than ever, she needs the love and support of those around her.
What happened:
Ashley was the victim of a car accident in the early morning of November 29th 2017. She was on her way home when the car in which she was a passenger in lost control and rear-ended a police car. This happened only 5 blocks away from her home in North Miami Beach. Due to the force of the crash, the vehicle spun out of control and the engine started to catch on fire.
Rescue workers got Ashley out of the vehicle before it set on fire. She was then brought unconscious to the hospital with severe brain and neck damage.
Her condition:
Ashley has a fractured C2 neck vertebrae along with some strained ligaments and swelling on her neck and upper spine. She’s had a successful surgery on her C2 fracture. There was internal bleeding in her brain that has since stopped and the medical staff was successful at preventing further damage.
The neurologist has done a CT scan and MRI. The results show bleeding on the right side of the brain and a more critical condition: DAI or diffused axonal injury. This injury is all throughout her brain and was responsible for her unconscious state. People with DAI react differently; Some fully heal and some very little.
Doctors say the brain damage is severe. Initially doctors could not say when or even if Ashley would ever wake up at all.
At first she was unconscious, could not breathe or eat on her own and was on life support. But Ashley is a fighter and has surprised everyone. After one week she is breathing on her own and has miraculously started to move parts of her body. The entire left side of her body is still slowly recuperating and has very limited movement.
Even though we see small improvements everyday, Ashley's situation remains critical. She is semiconscious, can not eat on her own, and is still in ICU. Doctors say her recovery will be long.
What is the money for:
We need your good vibes, your prayers, your encouragement and visits but we also need your caring donations.
Ashley does not have health insurance to cover the immense medical costs of this accident, scheduled surgeries or the long term care and rehabilitation needed.
Medical bills - Currently her hospital bill in just one week in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) exceeds USD $115,000. Doctors don’t know when Ashley will be able to leave the ICU.
Rehabilitation - Average rehab costs for severe brain injury are between USD$850 - $2,250 per day. Doctors say Ashley will need months of rehabilitation.
Living expenses- Due to her current motor, speech, visual, memory and thinking disabilities we don’t have an estimate of when or even if Ashley will be able to return to work.
Assist friends and family to be close to her- Ashley has no family living close to her and she needs long term care.
The situation is even more heart wrenching given that because of bureaucratic visa complications, her immediate family, can not be by her side. Her father, her only relative in the U.S. who has been by her side night and day since the accident will have to return to northern Florida to work, leaving Ashley in Miami at a 7 hour drives distance. So we will also need funds for someone trusted to be by her side supporting and encouraging her along the way to recovery.
Ashley has already been through so much. At the fragile age of 16, her parents and siblings were separated as they were forced to return to Peru due to immigration laws at the time. She stayed in Miami alone in order to finish high school. As this naturally was too tough on a teenager, Ashley joined her family in Peru just a year later. Being born and raised in Miami, Ashley was torn between her home (USA) and her family, traveling back and forth between Lima and Miami, she ultimately stayed in Miami having only herself to rely on. Just under a year ago and after 12 years of living apart, her father was finally able to join her in Florida but earlier this year he moved to northern Florida due to job obligations.
Now Ashley deserves another fighting chance at life and especially to be surrounded by her loved ones in her most difficult time.
I know if your little sister or brother were hurt you would do anything to help them and now we’re asking you to please help ours. So please help us, even if it's just a small donation, your contribution will aid Ashley and our family. Even if you can’t donate, we kindly ask you to please take a minute and SHARE this page with your friends as this too can help a vibrant young woman have a second chance at life.
Since Ashley is not capable of managing her account due to her current condition, we are assigning Leslie as her trustee.
We sincerely and deeply thank you for taking the time to help us in any way you can. Please donate what you can and share. We are all one!
Update Dec. 14:
Latest NBC news articles on Ashley
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Local-Woman-Recovering-From-Fiery-Crash-Far-From-Family-464300103.html
Latest Telemundo article on Ashley
https://www.telemundo51.com/noticias/destacados/Habla-madre-de-joven-involucrada-en-accidente_TLMD---Miami-464282083.html
Update Dec. 15:
Ashley will be getting a a feeding tube (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) (PEG) inserted directly to her stomach today. She has lost a lot of weight in the last two weeks and because of her brain injury she is still not able to swallow correctly in order to eat.
Update Dec. 18:
Ashley has been moved from the ICU to the Trauma 2 area since she is now stable.
Today she was able to recognize her mother, brother and sister and was able to speak a few clear words. She proudly showed them that she could move her left forearm a few centimeters.
Even though she is still weak she pushes to improve herself.
Update Dec. 20:
Because of her injury Ashley has poor impulse control and gets easily frustrated. This morning at 7 a.m. she asked to speak with our mom. Her godmother called her through whatsapp. Ashley was crying in pain, trying to pull her neck brace and IV tubes off and trying to scratch her stitches. She kept saying: "mami ven, mami ven" (come mommy) my mom had to calm her and tell Ashley that she will be there soon. Hopefully we can make that happen soon.
Update Dec. 22:
Here is the link with the latest story on Ashley's situation. We are hoping this will help get a humanitarian visa for our mom to be by Ashley's side.
Ashley is not actually eating yet. What you see on the video is a test conducted by the speech therapist to see if she can safely swallow in order to eat. She has already failed 3 of these tests before, but they continue doing them because it is critical that she receive additional nutrients besides what she gets from her feeding tube in order to get stronger and help the healing process. Plus she is very hungry and constantly asks for food. If you hear carefully you can hear her say "que rico" (delicious)
https://www.univision.com/shows/primer-impacto/la-preocupacion-que-vive-esta-madre-porque-fue-deportada-y-su-hija-esta-en-postrada-en-un-hospital-en-florida-video#rel
Update Dec. 25:
The good:
Ashley has finally started eating purees.
She has started to ask questions instead of just answering! Before it was “good, bad, me too”. Today she asked: how’s the weather there? When did you arrive? How are you?
The great: we heard her laugh for the first time since the accident (that child like dorky distinct laugh she has) I cried happy tears.
The bad:
Drs. want to release her from the hospital since her life is no longer in danger. But she still needs 24 hr care. Where to and with who is one issue. The best option for her at this critical stage in her recovery is an acute inpatient rehab facility where she could receive daily therapies, but this is expensive. We don't have funds for this, but we are working on applying for any financial aid and program we can so she can benefit from intensive rehab. Right now she is only eligible for therapy where a caregiver would take her and pick her up from her therapies.
Update Dec. 29:
The great:
Ashley can walk on her own now! Little by little with the help of her therapist she managed to achieve this. We still have a long way to go but she tries everyday.
The bad:
Her short term memory is still damaged. She has cognitive problems and has difficulty following conversations.
https://youtu.be/S94PUMitqo8
Update Jan. 10:
The great: Ashley is improving faster and better than doctors had predicted! She has been transferred to an inpatient rehab facility where she is receiving intensive therapies to help her regain her ability to move and function. (she will be here only for 7 days due to funds)
The bad: She still needs 24 hr supervision and care, somewhere to live and continuing therapies.
Getting our mom to the U.S. seems will not be immediate, so we are weighing all the options: housing + medical care + living assistance person + quality and costs to see what the best next step for Ashley is.
The doctors have recommended a Rehab program at The Florida Institute for Neurological Rehabilitation. She would live there for 3 months and get specialized care and treatment. The program has a cost of 90,000.00 USD and it is not covered by her insurance. So we are lowering the goal of this page to reflect the cost for this rehabilitation.
Even if she doesn’t get into this program, Ashley will need to see: neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, physical therapist, speech therapists and occupational therapists as well as 24 hr supervision and care and only a portion of this is covered by her insurance, so we greatly appreciate your support.
https://youtu.be/5PDwYABxpM4
Update Jan. 26:
The great: Ashley is finally home and out of rehab. She is very focused on healing and determined to make a comeback. She remains amazingly positive and laughs often even though the complications of sorting out her life after the accident are even more difficult with her current limitations and more that most of us could bare.
The bad: The bills keep piling up. The hospital bill arrived: 662,557.04 USD for 37 days. The inpatient Rehab: 1,300 USD x 7 days= 9,100.00 USD
She also has to navigate the complicated process of applying for all the documents she lost when the car burned and has to find and schedule various doctors’ appointments as well as therapies.
Update Jan. 26:
Our Ashley is a fighter. She is starting to learn more about her accident (she doesn't remember it) but her main focus is healing.
Here you can see the latest news story on her recovery:
https://wsvn.com/news/the-lowedown/woman-rescued-from-fiery-car-crash-speaks-out/
Click on the link below to see what happend:
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Local-Woman-Recovering-From-Fiery-Crash-Far-From-Family-464300103.html
Please take just a few minutes to read the story about our beloved Ashley. Even if you can only SHARE the page, you have already helped to make a difference.
If you have any doubts or questions please contact us and we can provide proof.
We will be posting updates on how she is progressing at the end of the page.
What this is about:
This page is for our beloved baby sister, Ashley “Ashtro” Montes. She is a beautiful, creative, crazy, strong and caring soul.
Born and raised in Miami she has a zest for life. She loves trying out new restaurants, singing her heart out at karaokes and dancing till her feet hurt. Everyone who meets her will tell you that they feed off the positive energy she radiates.Ashley loves and puts her family and friends above all. You can always count on her to listen and support you. No matter what is happening in her life, she gives all of herself to the people who need her. Above all, Ashley is filled to the brim with love.
Now more than ever, she needs the love and support of those around her.
What happened:
Ashley was the victim of a car accident in the early morning of November 29th 2017. She was on her way home when the car in which she was a passenger in lost control and rear-ended a police car. This happened only 5 blocks away from her home in North Miami Beach. Due to the force of the crash, the vehicle spun out of control and the engine started to catch on fire.
Rescue workers got Ashley out of the vehicle before it set on fire. She was then brought unconscious to the hospital with severe brain and neck damage.
Her condition:
Ashley has a fractured C2 neck vertebrae along with some strained ligaments and swelling on her neck and upper spine. She’s had a successful surgery on her C2 fracture. There was internal bleeding in her brain that has since stopped and the medical staff was successful at preventing further damage.
The neurologist has done a CT scan and MRI. The results show bleeding on the right side of the brain and a more critical condition: DAI or diffused axonal injury. This injury is all throughout her brain and was responsible for her unconscious state. People with DAI react differently; Some fully heal and some very little.
Doctors say the brain damage is severe. Initially doctors could not say when or even if Ashley would ever wake up at all.
At first she was unconscious, could not breathe or eat on her own and was on life support. But Ashley is a fighter and has surprised everyone. After one week she is breathing on her own and has miraculously started to move parts of her body. The entire left side of her body is still slowly recuperating and has very limited movement.
Even though we see small improvements everyday, Ashley's situation remains critical. She is semiconscious, can not eat on her own, and is still in ICU. Doctors say her recovery will be long.
What is the money for:
We need your good vibes, your prayers, your encouragement and visits but we also need your caring donations.
Ashley does not have health insurance to cover the immense medical costs of this accident, scheduled surgeries or the long term care and rehabilitation needed.
Medical bills - Currently her hospital bill in just one week in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) exceeds USD $115,000. Doctors don’t know when Ashley will be able to leave the ICU.
Rehabilitation - Average rehab costs for severe brain injury are between USD$850 - $2,250 per day. Doctors say Ashley will need months of rehabilitation.
Living expenses- Due to her current motor, speech, visual, memory and thinking disabilities we don’t have an estimate of when or even if Ashley will be able to return to work.
Assist friends and family to be close to her- Ashley has no family living close to her and she needs long term care.
The situation is even more heart wrenching given that because of bureaucratic visa complications, her immediate family, can not be by her side. Her father, her only relative in the U.S. who has been by her side night and day since the accident will have to return to northern Florida to work, leaving Ashley in Miami at a 7 hour drives distance. So we will also need funds for someone trusted to be by her side supporting and encouraging her along the way to recovery.
Ashley has already been through so much. At the fragile age of 16, her parents and siblings were separated as they were forced to return to Peru due to immigration laws at the time. She stayed in Miami alone in order to finish high school. As this naturally was too tough on a teenager, Ashley joined her family in Peru just a year later. Being born and raised in Miami, Ashley was torn between her home (USA) and her family, traveling back and forth between Lima and Miami, she ultimately stayed in Miami having only herself to rely on. Just under a year ago and after 12 years of living apart, her father was finally able to join her in Florida but earlier this year he moved to northern Florida due to job obligations.
Now Ashley deserves another fighting chance at life and especially to be surrounded by her loved ones in her most difficult time.
I know if your little sister or brother were hurt you would do anything to help them and now we’re asking you to please help ours. So please help us, even if it's just a small donation, your contribution will aid Ashley and our family. Even if you can’t donate, we kindly ask you to please take a minute and SHARE this page with your friends as this too can help a vibrant young woman have a second chance at life.
Since Ashley is not capable of managing her account due to her current condition, we are assigning Leslie as her trustee.
We sincerely and deeply thank you for taking the time to help us in any way you can. Please donate what you can and share. We are all one!
Update Dec. 14:
Latest NBC news articles on Ashley
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Local-Woman-Recovering-From-Fiery-Crash-Far-From-Family-464300103.html
Latest Telemundo article on Ashley
https://www.telemundo51.com/noticias/destacados/Habla-madre-de-joven-involucrada-en-accidente_TLMD---Miami-464282083.html
Update Dec. 15:
Ashley will be getting a a feeding tube (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) (PEG) inserted directly to her stomach today. She has lost a lot of weight in the last two weeks and because of her brain injury she is still not able to swallow correctly in order to eat.
Update Dec. 18:
Ashley has been moved from the ICU to the Trauma 2 area since she is now stable.
Today she was able to recognize her mother, brother and sister and was able to speak a few clear words. She proudly showed them that she could move her left forearm a few centimeters.
Even though she is still weak she pushes to improve herself.
Update Dec. 20:
Because of her injury Ashley has poor impulse control and gets easily frustrated. This morning at 7 a.m. she asked to speak with our mom. Her godmother called her through whatsapp. Ashley was crying in pain, trying to pull her neck brace and IV tubes off and trying to scratch her stitches. She kept saying: "mami ven, mami ven" (come mommy) my mom had to calm her and tell Ashley that she will be there soon. Hopefully we can make that happen soon.
Update Dec. 22:
Here is the link with the latest story on Ashley's situation. We are hoping this will help get a humanitarian visa for our mom to be by Ashley's side.
Ashley is not actually eating yet. What you see on the video is a test conducted by the speech therapist to see if she can safely swallow in order to eat. She has already failed 3 of these tests before, but they continue doing them because it is critical that she receive additional nutrients besides what she gets from her feeding tube in order to get stronger and help the healing process. Plus she is very hungry and constantly asks for food. If you hear carefully you can hear her say "que rico" (delicious)
https://www.univision.com/shows/primer-impacto/la-preocupacion-que-vive-esta-madre-porque-fue-deportada-y-su-hija-esta-en-postrada-en-un-hospital-en-florida-video#rel
Update Dec. 25:
The good:
Ashley has finally started eating purees.
She has started to ask questions instead of just answering! Before it was “good, bad, me too”. Today she asked: how’s the weather there? When did you arrive? How are you?
The great: we heard her laugh for the first time since the accident (that child like dorky distinct laugh she has) I cried happy tears.
The bad:
Drs. want to release her from the hospital since her life is no longer in danger. But she still needs 24 hr care. Where to and with who is one issue. The best option for her at this critical stage in her recovery is an acute inpatient rehab facility where she could receive daily therapies, but this is expensive. We don't have funds for this, but we are working on applying for any financial aid and program we can so she can benefit from intensive rehab. Right now she is only eligible for therapy where a caregiver would take her and pick her up from her therapies.
Update Dec. 29:
The great:
Ashley can walk on her own now! Little by little with the help of her therapist she managed to achieve this. We still have a long way to go but she tries everyday.
The bad:
Her short term memory is still damaged. She has cognitive problems and has difficulty following conversations.
https://youtu.be/S94PUMitqo8
Update Jan. 10:
The great: Ashley is improving faster and better than doctors had predicted! She has been transferred to an inpatient rehab facility where she is receiving intensive therapies to help her regain her ability to move and function. (she will be here only for 7 days due to funds)
The bad: She still needs 24 hr supervision and care, somewhere to live and continuing therapies.
Getting our mom to the U.S. seems will not be immediate, so we are weighing all the options: housing + medical care + living assistance person + quality and costs to see what the best next step for Ashley is.
The doctors have recommended a Rehab program at The Florida Institute for Neurological Rehabilitation. She would live there for 3 months and get specialized care and treatment. The program has a cost of 90,000.00 USD and it is not covered by her insurance. So we are lowering the goal of this page to reflect the cost for this rehabilitation.
Even if she doesn’t get into this program, Ashley will need to see: neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, physical therapist, speech therapists and occupational therapists as well as 24 hr supervision and care and only a portion of this is covered by her insurance, so we greatly appreciate your support.
https://youtu.be/5PDwYABxpM4
Update Jan. 26:
The great: Ashley is finally home and out of rehab. She is very focused on healing and determined to make a comeback. She remains amazingly positive and laughs often even though the complications of sorting out her life after the accident are even more difficult with her current limitations and more that most of us could bare.
The bad: The bills keep piling up. The hospital bill arrived: 662,557.04 USD for 37 days. The inpatient Rehab: 1,300 USD x 7 days= 9,100.00 USD
She also has to navigate the complicated process of applying for all the documents she lost when the car burned and has to find and schedule various doctors’ appointments as well as therapies.
Update Jan. 26:
Our Ashley is a fighter. She is starting to learn more about her accident (she doesn't remember it) but her main focus is healing.
Here you can see the latest news story on her recovery:
https://wsvn.com/news/the-lowedown/woman-rescued-from-fiery-car-crash-speaks-out/
Organizer and beneficiary
Rox Montes
Organizer
Miami, FL
Leslie Shaw
Beneficiary