“They will both have a long road ahead of them with their recovery,” said a family friend
Credit: GoFundMe
NEED TO KNOW
- A mother was left in a coma and her 3-year-old son was seriously injured following a two-vehicle collision on a highway near Clifton, Texas, on July 20
- Officials said the 30-year-old may have swerved into oncoming traffic to “avoid a car that entered the intersection”
- An investigation is ongoing as the community has raised thousands for the family’s medical care
A 30-year-old mom was left in a coma after a crash on a Texas highway earlier this month that also injured her 3-year-old son.
Speaking with CBS affiliate KBTX, Kasidy Stewart’s sister shared her heartache.
“To know that my 3-year-old nephew might not ever hear his mom’s voice again … just because somebody wanted to get somewhere a little bit faster than they should have,” Allen said after Stewart was critically injured in the wreck near Clifton on July 20, along with her toddler, Asher, who has special needs.
Stewart had reportedly been taking the boy to a therapy appointment at the time.
That Monday, around 1:30 p.m. local time, troopers were dispatched to the crash on State Highway 6 near Farm-to-Market Road 2136, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety confirms to PEOPLE.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a Dodge Ram, driven by Stewart, was traveling south when it veered into the northbound lanes, possibly to “avoid a car that entered the intersection,” officials said in a statement.
As a result, her truck crashed into an approaching Ford F-250 and then entered a ditch and struck a metal bar that was found “stuck in the motor, and it about split the front of the truck in half,” Stewart’s sister said.
Once first responders were at the scene, Stewart and another occupant of the vehicle — identified by her family as 3-year-old Asher — as well as the driver of the other truck were transported to area hospitals.
At the time, Stewart was in critical condition, authorities said.
An investigation into the two-vehicle collision is ongoing, and no charges can be confirmed at this time, authorities said.
Days later, Stewart remains in a coma after she suffered a traumatic brain injury, KBTX reported.
Her son survived with a broken femur. If Asher had been in a different position in the truck, his aunt believes he most likely would have died.
Credit: Texas Department of Public Safety/Facebook
“To be able to hear him laugh and know that he’s okay is huge for our family,” Allen told KBTX of her nephew, whom she calls her “blessing.”
The family has experienced tragedy before. Eight years ago, Stewart’s daughter died of a rare chromosome disorder just before she turned 2 years old, according to the station.
Stewart, motivated by that life-changing loss, had just begun nursing school before the crash.
Her sister told KBTX that she’s able to breathe on her own, in her coma, and is now at a neurorehabilitation facility.
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As Stewart’s family monitors her recovery, the community has been showering them with support: A GoFundMe page launched by friends of the family has raised more than $8,000 to help cover medical costs.
“They will both have a long road ahead of them with their recovery,” wrote organizer Kelsey Ragan (who didn’t immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment) of the mother and child. “Just please say a prayer for this family.”
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