Taylor Swift has donated $50,000 to a GoFundMe campaign supporting Ashley Taunton, a Connecticut mother who was seriously injured after stopping to help three teenagers following a crash on Interstate 95 in Rhode Island.
Taunton, 42, was struck by another vehicle during heavy rain in Hopkinton on July 18 as she tried to move one of the teenagers out of harm’s way. The mother of three suffered extensive injuries, including internal bleeding, organ lacerations, multiple rib fractures and a ruptured diaphragm.
The donation appeared on the fundraiser on Friday, August 28, accompanied by a message from Swift which read: “Wishing you the best recovery possible and sending love to your family! Taylor.”
Taunton said she learned about the contribution while travelling to a physiotherapy appointment with her husband, Joe. Friends had contacted him first, and she recalled seeing his expression change before he told her: “No way. Supposedly Taylor Swift just donated $50,000 to the GoFundMe.”
“Then my stomach flipped and I got tears in my eyes but also was in disbelief,” she told People. “My physical therapist was shocked, and my husband had to walk outside and gather himself.”
The fundraiser, organised by Taunton’s friend Laura Ortelt, is intended to help cover medical costs, household bills and expenses for the family’s children and animals while Taunton is unable to work.
It had raised more than $90,000 from about 1,200 donors by Monday, according to reports, putting it close to its $110,000 target.
Taunton spent 31 days in hospital and underwent three operations before returning home on August 17, according to an update shared on social media. Her husband has taken leave from work to care for her, while her recovery and physiotherapy could take up to a year.
The accident happened after Taunton, who was driving home with her youngest daughter, saw a car that had hydroplaned in the rain. She stopped to check on the three teenagers inside, who were described as “a little bit banged up”.
As she helped them away from the vehicle, a second car lost control and headed towards the group. Taunton said she pushed one of the teenagers clear before taking the full impact herself.
“It just felt like a big explosion,” she previously told People. “I just remember being on the ground and I could see my ankle was just hanging there. I went to try to get up and I couldn’t breathe.”
Swift owns a home in Westerly, Rhode Island, near the scene of the crash. Taunton and her husband work at a hotel on Misquamicut Beach, where they can see the singer’s property.
“It is so surreal to have someone of her status do something so kind and generous for a regular person,” Taunton said.
She added: “I still don’t even know how to articulate how thankful we are and I wish I could hug Taylor and everyone who has blessed us.”
