Pedestrian Hit by Car, Medical Fund
Donation protected
We are raising money for our friend Kristi Barkema, 23, who was hit by a vehicle on the side of a highway while waiting for her overheated car to be repaired.
WHAT HAPPENED
Saturday, August 13, our friend Kristi Barkema was hiking with a friend at Twin Falls in Washington State. On their way home, their car overheated. After pulling onto the side of the highway, they called AAA. While awaiting AAA's arrival, Kristi got out of the passenger seat — next thing she knew she was being asked by a fireman if she could move her legs. She could not. It was at this point that she found herself pinned between two cars after a driver on the highway had impacted the car immediately behind Kristi. She was promptly airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and immediately placed in the intensive care unit (ICU). "Harborview is the only designated Level I adult and pediatric trauma and burn center in the state of Washington and serves as the regional trauma and burn referral center for Alaska, Montana and Idaho" (http://www.uwmedicine.org/harborview/about).
Kristi is going to have surgery this week to repair her broken sacrum, the bone which forms the base of the spine and center of the pelvis. She has a concussion, a screw has been placed in her knee, stitches cover her body, some internal injuries, as well as a traction (a system of weights and pulleys used to put tension on a displaced bone/joint) attached to her pelvis. A plastic surgeon was required to stitch up a large laceration on her face.
Though she maintains muscle and nerve function in her legs, any movement of her torso due to her broken spine causes her extreme pain.
ABOUT KRISTI
Kristi lives in Tacoma, WA and is an outgoing, very joyful person. She is also very active. She received the opportunity to hike the Enchantments (one must enter a lottery in order to participate in this 18-mile hike) August 16-19, and is tied for No. 2 ranking at the Tacoma-area YMCA for womens deadlift, at 225 pounds. She is also on an intramural softball team. Kristi is expecting an extended period of rehabilitation after her release from the hospital. "Out of more than 5,000 hospitals evaluated [U.S. News & World Report] ranked Harborview’s rehabilitation program No. 4 in the nation." (http://www.uwmedicine.org/harborview/about). She is also very generous, having volunteered with various charity organizations, including time spent serving the poor in Bangladesh.
HOW WE CAN HELP
"The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." —William Faulkner
No matter how much you give, whether you give $3 or $300, each dollar alleviates the insurmountable cost accumulating in order that Kristi might be given the best care possible to ensure a recovery and health for the critical months that follow. We expect the total cost to exceed $500,000.
THANK YOU
We thank you for whatever contribution you are willing to donate to Kristi during this time. The last thing we want is for Kristi to be buried in lifelong debt after a traumatic accident for which she was not responsible. For those of you we know, we cannot express our thanks and gratitude enough. For those of you whom we have not met, we are overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity for so selflessly sacrificing for a young woman you have not had the honor of knowing.
Please note: Any extra money raised will be used to compensate Kristi for missed work, as well as the possible lifelong ramifications of this traumatic accident. Also, we desire to reimburse her family for all expenses relevant to their traveling here from their home in Florida to be with their daughter for the foreseeable future.
WHAT HAPPENED
Saturday, August 13, our friend Kristi Barkema was hiking with a friend at Twin Falls in Washington State. On their way home, their car overheated. After pulling onto the side of the highway, they called AAA. While awaiting AAA's arrival, Kristi got out of the passenger seat — next thing she knew she was being asked by a fireman if she could move her legs. She could not. It was at this point that she found herself pinned between two cars after a driver on the highway had impacted the car immediately behind Kristi. She was promptly airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and immediately placed in the intensive care unit (ICU). "Harborview is the only designated Level I adult and pediatric trauma and burn center in the state of Washington and serves as the regional trauma and burn referral center for Alaska, Montana and Idaho" (http://www.uwmedicine.org/harborview/about).
Kristi is going to have surgery this week to repair her broken sacrum, the bone which forms the base of the spine and center of the pelvis. She has a concussion, a screw has been placed in her knee, stitches cover her body, some internal injuries, as well as a traction (a system of weights and pulleys used to put tension on a displaced bone/joint) attached to her pelvis. A plastic surgeon was required to stitch up a large laceration on her face.
Though she maintains muscle and nerve function in her legs, any movement of her torso due to her broken spine causes her extreme pain.
ABOUT KRISTI
Kristi lives in Tacoma, WA and is an outgoing, very joyful person. She is also very active. She received the opportunity to hike the Enchantments (one must enter a lottery in order to participate in this 18-mile hike) August 16-19, and is tied for No. 2 ranking at the Tacoma-area YMCA for womens deadlift, at 225 pounds. She is also on an intramural softball team. Kristi is expecting an extended period of rehabilitation after her release from the hospital. "Out of more than 5,000 hospitals evaluated [U.S. News & World Report] ranked Harborview’s rehabilitation program No. 4 in the nation." (http://www.uwmedicine.org/harborview/about). She is also very generous, having volunteered with various charity organizations, including time spent serving the poor in Bangladesh.
HOW WE CAN HELP
"The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." —William Faulkner
No matter how much you give, whether you give $3 or $300, each dollar alleviates the insurmountable cost accumulating in order that Kristi might be given the best care possible to ensure a recovery and health for the critical months that follow. We expect the total cost to exceed $500,000.
THANK YOU
We thank you for whatever contribution you are willing to donate to Kristi during this time. The last thing we want is for Kristi to be buried in lifelong debt after a traumatic accident for which she was not responsible. For those of you we know, we cannot express our thanks and gratitude enough. For those of you whom we have not met, we are overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity for so selflessly sacrificing for a young woman you have not had the honor of knowing.
Please note: Any extra money raised will be used to compensate Kristi for missed work, as well as the possible lifelong ramifications of this traumatic accident. Also, we desire to reimburse her family for all expenses relevant to their traveling here from their home in Florida to be with their daughter for the foreseeable future.
Organizer and beneficiary
Sarah Eklund
Organizer
Puyallup, WA
Kristina Barkema
Beneficiary