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Community Rallies To Aid Brain-Injured Mahwah Teen

MAHWAH, N.J. — A GoFundMe campaign has been created for Sara Goffredo, a 15-year-old Mahwah High School sophomore who suffered a brain injury and cardiac arrest last month.

Sara Goffredo.

Sara Goffredo.

Photo Credit: GoFundMe

“She’s made some progress Thursday and Friday,” said family friend Eddie Miller, who created the campaign. “She’s not consciously awake, but she’s opened her eyes.

“She’s also making some mouth movements,” he added, “and doctors say that’s a sign the brain is starting to react.”

On June 1, Goffredo was moved to Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, which specializes in brain injuries, according to the GoFundMe page, which also gives an account of what happened:

While shopping with her mother on May17, Goffredo experienced breathing problems, as she has all her life. That night, however, she was unable to control them with her inhaler and nebulizer.

Her mother called 911 but, by the time the EMTs and ambulance arrived, the teen’s condition had worsened. While en route to Valley Hospital, she went into cardiac arrest.

Goffredo’s brain injury is hypoxic, meaning it was caused by loss of oxygen.

Her parents, Linda and Bill, are “shocked and decimated,” according to the page, as is her little brother, Alex.

Bill Goffredo works for Valley Hospital and has health insurance, according to Miller.

“But health insurance is health insurance. There’s never enough there,” he said. “My job is to raise as much money as we can for them to get them through this. It’s going to be a long road.”

Goffredo is known as a vibrant and kind young woman who has a beautiful singing voice and likes to perform. Her aspiration is to be on Broadway.

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