Help Alex Betzel Recover
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Hi Everyone,
I’m Megan Brennan, girlfriend of Alex Betzel, and writing on her behalf at this moment. Below is her story and any amount of help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
On Wednesday, February 10th around 2:15pm, Alex Betzel was biking home from a quick errand at Addison and Kimball when a driver hit her, ran her over and drove away, leaving her in critical and life-threatening condition. The driver was heading north on Kimball and decided to turn right from the center lane to cut off cars, hitting Alex and running her over with their tires. The driver and car are still unknown and there is currently an open investigation.
Alex was rushed to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where they found she lost a lot of blood, both her lungs were severely bruised and punctured by her ribs, causing them to fill with blood and one to collapse. She has nine broken ribs, with multiple being completely displaced, a broken cheek bone and a laceration on her forehead. Thankfully to the witnesses who called the ambulance, the EMTs, ER and ICU doctors and nurses, and for Alex wearing a helmet, she survived and they were able to stabilize her Wednesday evening.
Alex required an emergent blood transfusion and was put on a ventilator immediately in the ICU. On Monday, she had surgery to implant metal plates in her chest to reset her ribs and possibly remove a section of her lung. She has been sedated since Wednesday, but when she is awake, she is very cognizant of what happened to her and understands she is at the hospital.
Alex is a funny, warm, kind-hearted person who gives so much of herself to help others and fight for the rights of everyone. She enjoys her work at WTTW, an organization whose mission and values she believes in. She is an avid cyclist, always in the most protective gear and adhering to the rules of the road. She is a wonderful dog mom to Grover, our pitty who is missing his momma right now. She is a sewist–hemming pants, mending shirts for friends, sewing her sister a dress for her birthday–and she is fantastic at it. She picked it up just a couple years ago, and within a short period of time, she started a second job at Uncommon Closet, an inclusive tailor shop. She is a loyal and caring friend and partner, and for this to happen to any person, it most certainly didn’t need to fall on this amazing woman and her family.
Her road to recovery is a bit unknown right now. It’s a road we know she can walk but it will be long with many twists and turns. Alex was able to communicate to us on Saturday that she remembers everything from the crash. She could recall that both the front and rear tire drove over her, including her head. A very strong reminder to wear your helmets while biking in Chicago. We also believe outside of recovering from her physical injuries, she will have PTSD and require a lot of time and specialized therapy to cope.
Due to the accident, Alex will have lost wages, large medical bills, and many doctors appointments in her near and far future, making this an urgent matter. Any money collected will go towards her medical bills, legal fees, rent, helping to take care of her dog, Grover, her family’s rideshares and gas to and from the hospital, and all encompassing rehabilitation as we learn more about what that will look like.
If you are unable to give financially, Alex and her family completely understand! Please email the host of this GoFundMe and we can send you our meal train for Alex’s parents and myself.
Thank you so much in advance for your donation. I have been in a position to only be able to give $5 (or less) to a cause that I cared about, so know that we appreciate everyone’s donations. We just want you to give the amount you are most comfortable and able to donate.
Sidenote, aka Megan’s Soapbox:
Alex’s family and I took some time to decide if we wanted to set up a GoFundMe. It is beyond frustrating that a young, healthy woman with health coverage will be indebted for a crash that she was completely innocent in. Without knowing who the driver was and without this country providing a safety net for these kinds of crashes, nor universal health coverage nor fully-covered short term disability, everything that comes with this life-altering accident falls on Alex and her family. We hope that someday Americans won’t have to turn to their family, loved ones or strangers to help cover the costs of a terrible accident, but until we get working on policy that will protect and provide for all people living in this country, please give what you can.
Articles:
Block Club Article on Alex
ABC7 Article on Crash
WGN Article
Photos:
Alex enjoying the summer.
Alex on her bike after a nice city ride.
I’m Megan Brennan, girlfriend of Alex Betzel, and writing on her behalf at this moment. Below is her story and any amount of help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
On Wednesday, February 10th around 2:15pm, Alex Betzel was biking home from a quick errand at Addison and Kimball when a driver hit her, ran her over and drove away, leaving her in critical and life-threatening condition. The driver was heading north on Kimball and decided to turn right from the center lane to cut off cars, hitting Alex and running her over with their tires. The driver and car are still unknown and there is currently an open investigation.
Alex was rushed to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where they found she lost a lot of blood, both her lungs were severely bruised and punctured by her ribs, causing them to fill with blood and one to collapse. She has nine broken ribs, with multiple being completely displaced, a broken cheek bone and a laceration on her forehead. Thankfully to the witnesses who called the ambulance, the EMTs, ER and ICU doctors and nurses, and for Alex wearing a helmet, she survived and they were able to stabilize her Wednesday evening.
Alex required an emergent blood transfusion and was put on a ventilator immediately in the ICU. On Monday, she had surgery to implant metal plates in her chest to reset her ribs and possibly remove a section of her lung. She has been sedated since Wednesday, but when she is awake, she is very cognizant of what happened to her and understands she is at the hospital.
Alex is a funny, warm, kind-hearted person who gives so much of herself to help others and fight for the rights of everyone. She enjoys her work at WTTW, an organization whose mission and values she believes in. She is an avid cyclist, always in the most protective gear and adhering to the rules of the road. She is a wonderful dog mom to Grover, our pitty who is missing his momma right now. She is a sewist–hemming pants, mending shirts for friends, sewing her sister a dress for her birthday–and she is fantastic at it. She picked it up just a couple years ago, and within a short period of time, she started a second job at Uncommon Closet, an inclusive tailor shop. She is a loyal and caring friend and partner, and for this to happen to any person, it most certainly didn’t need to fall on this amazing woman and her family.
Her road to recovery is a bit unknown right now. It’s a road we know she can walk but it will be long with many twists and turns. Alex was able to communicate to us on Saturday that she remembers everything from the crash. She could recall that both the front and rear tire drove over her, including her head. A very strong reminder to wear your helmets while biking in Chicago. We also believe outside of recovering from her physical injuries, she will have PTSD and require a lot of time and specialized therapy to cope.
Due to the accident, Alex will have lost wages, large medical bills, and many doctors appointments in her near and far future, making this an urgent matter. Any money collected will go towards her medical bills, legal fees, rent, helping to take care of her dog, Grover, her family’s rideshares and gas to and from the hospital, and all encompassing rehabilitation as we learn more about what that will look like.
If you are unable to give financially, Alex and her family completely understand! Please email the host of this GoFundMe and we can send you our meal train for Alex’s parents and myself.
Thank you so much in advance for your donation. I have been in a position to only be able to give $5 (or less) to a cause that I cared about, so know that we appreciate everyone’s donations. We just want you to give the amount you are most comfortable and able to donate.
Sidenote, aka Megan’s Soapbox:
Alex’s family and I took some time to decide if we wanted to set up a GoFundMe. It is beyond frustrating that a young, healthy woman with health coverage will be indebted for a crash that she was completely innocent in. Without knowing who the driver was and without this country providing a safety net for these kinds of crashes, nor universal health coverage nor fully-covered short term disability, everything that comes with this life-altering accident falls on Alex and her family. We hope that someday Americans won’t have to turn to their family, loved ones or strangers to help cover the costs of a terrible accident, but until we get working on policy that will protect and provide for all people living in this country, please give what you can.
Articles:
Block Club Article on Alex
ABC7 Article on Crash
WGN Article
Photos:
Alex enjoying the summer. Alex on her bike after a nice city ride.Fundraising team (5)
Mike Betzel
Organizer
Chicago, IL
Megan Brennan
Beneficiary
Alex Betzel
Team member
Kelli Betzel
Team member
Lisa Betzel
Team member