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The effort follows an incident in Croton-on-Hudson on Tuesday, May 7, when a beloved dog-walker named Alex, whose last name was not made public, was struck by a pickup truck at a Gulf gas station at 380 South Riverside Ave. and pinned against a wall.
After she was struck, a bystander rushed over and applied a makeshift tourniquet to control her bleeding until police and first responders arrived. She was later taken to a nearby trauma center.
In the weeks following the incident, Alex's friends and family members came together to create a GoFundMe page to collect donations to help her with her extensive medical bills.
According to her loved ones, Alex suffered two broken hips; fractured her pelvis in half; a severe foot-long cut on her calf that has become necrotic; and hematoma complications.
So far, she has had several double surgeries and will likely require more, which have been "devastating to her already-difficult recovery journey," according to the GoFundMe page.
To make matters worse, Alex's injuries have separated her from her 3-year-old daughter Marcel, who cannot visit her in the hospital.
"The inability to see and hold her precious child has been one of the hardest daily challenges for Alex. Videos and face-timing isn’t the same," her friends and family wrote on the fundraiser page.
According to the fundraiser organizers, Alex is well-known as a dog walker who has dedicated herself to caring for her client's furry friends.
"The joy she derives from spending time with her clients' pets and the love and care she provides are simply unmatched," the organizers wrote, adding, "Not being able to do what she loves and care for her furry friends, has been incredibly tough on her."
Because of her extensive injuries, Alex will have to stay in a trauma center for a month before being discharged to a care facility, where she will have to stay for another three months.
To help with her rising medical bills, so far, the fundraiser has collected just over $10,000 as of Thursday, May 30. This is around half of the organizer's initial goal of $20,000, which would cover her "most immediate and urgent medical and rehabilitation expenses."
However, much more will be required to fund Alex's entire recovery process, the organizers added.
"Alex has always been there for us, rain or shine, ensuring our beloved pets are cared for with the utmost love and attention. Now, it’s our turn to be there for her," Alex's friends and family said, adding, "Let’s show Alex the same kindness and support she has shown us over the years."
Those interested in contributing to the GoFundMe page can do so by clicking here.
According to the Croton-on-Hudson Police Department, no criminal charges were filed in connection to the crash that injured Alex.
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