Rider Down! Prayers for Tie Dye Tonya

Testimony of “Mr.” Chris S.

In the Fall of 2021, my wife and I met Tonya. She had recently moved to the Charleston area for work and was looking for a place to stable her horse. She is an amazing young lady, and we immediately welcomed her as our “adopted daughter”. Tonya has a love for life that is infectious, and a smile that is always present. Competitive horseback riding has always been her passion. She loves the outdoors and any physical activity. She is an avid hiker, runner, cyclist, swimmer and is always ready to compete for any charity.

Besides keeping herself physically fit, she keeps herself spiritually fit. Her love of God guides her through her life. She is active in her church, singing in the choir, (She has an amazing voice and has even sung at the local baseball games.) and active in bible study groups. She has since never lost the gleaming smile on her face even given the unfortunate circumstances. Her strong will to this point has helped her keep her charisma, spirit, and strength to continue fighting through all the uncertainties she has faced. She also served 14 years flying as aircrew with the US Navy before switching to a different form of public service to train our foreign allies. Her generosity to friends and family are probably one of her strongest traits. She is always putting herself out for others before thinking about herself.

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The following contains a description of the event and injuries she sustained. ********WARNING********

On April 3rd, 2023 while riding her motorcycle home from bible study, she was in a hit & run accident. A car pulled out in front of her which caused her to strike the rear end of the car. The impact was so severe the tail-light, and rear bumper cover were ripped off the vehicle. The bumper cover became lodged in the front forks of her motorcycle. When she came to, she was laying on the ground in the middle of the 4 lane highway. Despite her condition, she had the realization she had to remove herself from the highway. To do this, she had to army crawl herself to the grass on the side of the highway. When she looked up expecting the car to still be there, it was not. The worst part is the driver of the car NEVER stopped. They left this vibrant, young lady in the road. THEY LEFT HER FOR DEAD. About 5 or 6 cars drove past her before a Good Samaritan stopped and called 911.

Tonya's injuries are severe. She has a 15" gash in her leg and her kneecap and related tendons are completely gone. The medical staff said that she has been extremely lucky to still have her leg and that she has a long road to recovery. Having grown up being extremely athletic having participated in multiple equestrian sports and Ironman triathlons, this is likely the only reason why her leg is still attached to her body.

Tonya's doctors are trying their best to allow her to keep her leg and to give her some level of normal usage. The current concerns are for infection. She has undergone many surgeries to ensure an infection does not take hold. Once the doctors are confident her leg can survive, they will start the long process of giving her back some use of her leg. These surgeries will involve more reconstruction as well as multiple skin grafts to replace the badly damaged and infected skin.

According to the doctors, there are some new procedures they can do to help reconstruct her femur and tendons/ligaments. They also said that she will likely not have a right knee for the rest of her life. Hopefully, they will be able to figure out a way to reconstruct her kneecap in the future but it is unlikely. The doctors say she may never be able to compete in another triathlon, but hopefully, she will be able to ride her horse again. They do not know Tonya the way her friends do. She does not give up. Tonya's road to recovery is going to be a very long and difficult road, but I know she can do it. This is a very tough and determined young lady. She is a US Navy veteran; she went to Guatemala on a church mission to build homes. When she sets her mind to something she doesn’t fail.

Tonya is always willing to help anyone. She is constantly giving of herself and now she needs help. What Tonya does not have control over is the cost of her recovery. The medical bills are only increasing, and this is the beginning of her long journey to recovery. She is not a quitter and I know she will make it. Occasionally, even the strongest require help and Tonya is one of the strongest ladies I know need help.

As a military veteran myself, I know admitting that you need help is difficult to do, but I cannot think of anyone who is more deserving of help then Tonya is. Please help this young lady through this tough time by donating anything you can.

In asking for donations, Tonya is hoping that they may be able to help offset the costs associated with her surgeries and rehabilitation. In addition, she may have to need aid to offset the cost of an attorney and/or private investigator to track the individual down that hit her. Her love for life and faith in God will most certainly help guide her on her path to recovery. However, any generous donation will only help ease her way to being able to once again do the things she loves!

Thank you and God Bless