Friends and family of former University of Massachusetts student Chloe Rombach, who was struck by a vehicle two weeks ago while crossing the street in Northampton, have started an online fundraising campaign to help her family with expenses related to her recovery.
Rombach, a 22-year-old Marblehead native who was living in Northampton at the time of the accident, was in critical condition after being struck on Dec. 9 at about 5:30 p.m. near the Bridge Street Cemetery. According to an email from her father, Eduardo Rombach, which was posted on her recovery fund’s GoFundMe page, she suffered severe brain injury, multiple deep lacerations and severe third degree burns after being dragged by the vehicle and pinned for about 20 minutes before paramedics could extract her.
Rombach was transported to Bay State Medical Center in Springfield, where she underwent multiple surgeries, and then was airlifted to the Massachusetts General Hospital Intensive Care Unit Trauma Center in Boston.
Her recovery fund, which was established last Tuesday, has raised $10,678 as of Sunday evening. All proceeds will go to the Rombach family to help ease the financial burden of traveling and living away from home, according to the fund’s website.
“The best Christmas presents all of you could give the Rombach family in general and Chloe in particular would be your prayers for her recovery,” her father wrote in his email.
The Rombach family has set up an online journal through Caring Bridge for those wishing to stay updated on Chloe’s recovery. It can be viewed at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chloerombach. The recovery fund’s website is http://www.gofundme.com/iy27dk.
Aviva Luttrell can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @AvivaLuttrell.