DURBAN - “Get well soon” messages continue to flood social media for a Durban woman who is recovering from a head-on crash that left her in a coma.
Hunter Tilling was driving along Riverside Road in Durban North on April 14, when her car collided into another.
She sustained brain damage and other serious injuries.
According to the Help Hunter Tilling Facebook page that her family started, the Tillings have made contact with those who witnessed the crash and called the emergency services.
The family said this helped them get more clarity on what happened that night.
According to the Facebook page, the Tilling family contacted the family of the other driver and learnt that it was not a hit-and-run crash. The other driver, a 57-year-old woman, was also injured and taken to hospital.
The Help Hunter Tilling Facebook page was started because Tilling did not have medical aid at the time of the accident.
Through the page, the family continues to update the more than 4 800 supporters
A number of fundraisers have been organised in a bid to cover the 23-year-old’s medical expenses.
Close family friend Bridget Studzinki said Tilling had her
whole life ahead of her and had
just left her job as a sales representative to begin her dream job as
an interior designer.
She added that Tilling’s new job would have provided medical aid but because she had not yet started, she was not covered by any medical insurance.
“We have started the page to help with medical bills and rehabilitation, which Hunter will need after she leaves the hospital,” explained Studzinki. Because of the nature of Tilling’s injuries, her medical bills are expected to run into hundreds of thousands of rands.
Tilling has made some improvement, with doctors having reduced her medication, and showing movement.
On Monday, she opened her eyes three times, but is still very dazed.
Studzinki said Tilling still had to undergo two more brain operations and an operation on her back as she broke vertebrae on her lower back.
A Fun Run/Walk has been planned for Sunday, May 7 with two more events taking place later in the month.
For more information on how to assist, go to the Help Hunter Tilling Facebook page.