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Shalini Patel Stewart was critically injured on Friday, April 25, while heading to a morning yoga class during a bachelorette trip in Sayulita, Mexico, according to a family friend.
Stewart and three close friends were riding in a golf cart when it crashed, they said. All four were rushed to the hospital, where three were treated, released, and returned home, but Stewart remains in intensive care.
On Friday night, doctors performed an emergency craniectomy, according to her family. A second brain surgery followed on Sunday.
“She is so strong and full of life, as we all know,” organizers of a GoFundMe set up for Stewart wrote. “The neurosurgeon is very optimistic about how she’s responding to her operations.”
As of Tuesday, April 29, Stewart remains sedated and in critical care at an emergency center in Punta Mita, while her loved ones work to arrange an emergency medical flight back to Virginia — a cost not covered by insurance.
That flight alone is expected to cost around $50,000, but within 48 hours, more than $99,000 was raised to help the family cover transportation, rehabilitation, and recovery costs.
“Wow! We've reached our goal in less than 24 hours, which is such a testament to the light that Shalini has brought into so many lives,” organizers wrote. “We are so overwhelmed by the generosity of so many of you so quickly.”
Family and longtime friends from throughout the DMV region and beyond have taken to social media to share love and support.
“For those of you who’ve met this beautiful soul, please send all the love you can for her recovery,” one close friend posted on Facebeook. “Shalini has been by my side for so much during our 20+ years of friendship and I’m still in shock processing this news.”
Lauren Marie, another friend, added, “She had several brain bleeds that required multiple surgeries. We love our girl and want to make sure she gets the best treatment and care out there.”
Former neighbor Danielle Harris Sanchez asked the community for prayers and support, saying, "I know the family would be grateful as they try to get her back home and take on the road to recovery."
All donations above the cost of the medical transport will go toward rehabilitation, care, and expenses for Stewart and her family as she continues her recovery.
The GoFundMe campaign can be found here.
"We don’t know exactly what the road ahead looks like, but we are holding onto hope and surrounding Shalini with all the love, strength, and prayers we can," organizers of the GoFundMe continued. "We ask all of you — those who know and love Shalini — to keep her in your thoughts and prayers."
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