Jennifer Ahlstrom

My name is Teresa, Molly and I are fundraising for Jennifer Ahlstrom and her two boys Clayton and Hudson.

On June 11th, 2023, they were in a terrible car accident. We were hosting our daughter’s graduation party and Jen let me know they were on their way to our house, but they never showed up.

Clayton had a baseball tournament at the beach and while en route on the highway back to Portland, they were hit head-on by a 20-year-old driver. With the car upside down in a ditch Clayton was able to get Hudson out of the car but even though he tried he could not get his mom out. The paramedics had to use the jaws of life to get Jen out. She was then life-lighted to Emanuel Hospital. Clayton and Hudson were both sent to different hospitals. As a mom, I literally can’t even imagine how incredibly scared the boys were.

Hudson sustained a skull injury and a broken ankle and other minor injuries. Clayton thankfully was discharged with minor injuries. Jen’s list of injuries is beyond extensive: broken left humerus, bilateral femur fractures, bilateral tibia/fibula fractures, several broken bones in her right foot, broken metatarsal fractures in her left foot, L1 - L5 fractures in her spine, blood clots, kidney issues and more.

When I went to visit Jen, she could barely talk from tongue issues she sustained from the accident, but she looked up at me and said, “I am so sorry we missed Nicole’s party”. She was mentally sharp as ever, but it was heartbreaking to see all the injuries she had, it was more than I expected. She’s had over 6 surgeries with more to go. It’s now been a month since the accident. Once she’s discharged from the hospital, she will go to a rehab facility for recovery and at this point, there is not a timeline when she will get to go home.

Molly and I have set our fundraising goal at 50,000 but honestly, we are hoping to raise more. Jen will not be able to work for a very long time nor are we sure if she will be able to resume being a nurse. She had a very demanding job working long hours on her feet caring for patients. She and the boys have a long healing road ahead of them.

I’ve found it difficult to convey the magnitude of Jen’s injuries in a few paragraphs, the trauma to the boys and the family overall, and meeting her mom for the first time in a very scary situation. Hearing how she and her husband felt when they got the phone call and more than I can write about a very sad situation. I’ve seen a picture of her car and it’s too traumatic to post. They are all beyond blessed to have survived such an extreme car accident.

Molly and I thank you in advance for your support. Please send prayers for their family and help in any way you can.

Take Care,

Teresa and Molly