Help 19-Year Old Stephanie - Lost Her Family to Drunk Driver

Please support Stephanie after losing both parents to a drunk driving tragedy!

On September 1, 2023, the Rojas family suffered a truly unthinkable tragedy.

Stephanie Rojas was only three weeks into her sophomore year at Cal Berkeley when she received a call that would alter her life forever. Just two miles from her childhood home in Huntington Park, Los Angeles, a drunk driver, who was fleeing another hit and run, plowed into the car carrying her entire immediate family.

Steph’s mother, Bertha and her oldest brother, Eduardo died at the scene. Her father, Refugio, was kept on life support for 12 days before the heart wrenching decision to withdraw care was made. Steph held his hand as he passed away.

Steph’s middle brother, Kevin, suffered a catastrophic brain injury. He is unable to speak or walk and is dependent on a tracheostomy tube to breathe and a gastrostomy tube for nutrition, medication and hydration. Kevin requires 24-hour nursing care.

Now an orphan, 19 year old Steph is struggling to deal with her family’s bills and manage her brother’s care while simultaneously trying to figure out financial aid so that she can return to Cal in the fall. If this wasn’t hard enough, she is now tasked with trying to save the family home that her parents worked so hard for. Unfortunately, the driver was uninsured and driving without a license, and Kevin’s medical insurance has lapsed based on his inability to work. It is all falling on Steph.

Nothing will take away Steph’s deep grief and sense of loss, but we can make a difference by helping her save her home, remain in school, and provide Kevin with the care he requires.

For the many who have already donated and the attorneys donating their time, thank you! Steph is now able to move forward with obtaining a conservatorship for Kevin, and administering her parents estate. But, there is still so much more that needs to be done to support this amazing young lady (we encourage you to read more about Steph and her family).

No one should ever have to navigate something this traumatic, especially a 19 year old. Please consider supporting Stephanie by donating to this GoFundMe, your support will make a difference.

This fundraiser has been created to directly benefit Steph and Kevin Rojas. We have worked with F&M Bank to set up a joint account (Joy Groen & Steph Rojas) and will be transferring any donations received to this account, where Joy and Steph will work together to direct funds where needed.

Thank you - Joy Groen and Lisa Corr