DEALING WITH LOSS
Fundraiser for area mother
A fundraising push is underway to help a Grand Coulee mother who lost her seven-year-old daughter in a Trans-Canada Highway crash on Monday.
At around 6 p.m. that day, White Butte RCMP attended a two-vehicle collision near Belle Plaine. Meadow McElravey died at the scene, and her mother, Trisha Healey, suffered serious injuries.
A man driving a car was taken to hospital with what police described as unknown injuries. Healey, who was driving an SUV, was airlifted to Regina General Hospital with broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen and other traumas, family said.
Speaking Wednesday, Meadow’s aunt Daylene Healey said the family was still in disbelief at the loss of a hugely popular young girl.
“She was funny,” an emotional Healey said of her niece. “She was very helpful, always looking after her younger cousins. She loved to ride her bike around Grand Coulee; (always) had friends coming to see if she wanted to play.
“She was full of spirit, always smiling. She (was) a big-time animal lover.”
Healey said that when the tragedy struck, some family rushed to the scene and others headed to the hospital. Soon, however, they received the awful news that Meadow had passed away.
“There’s a constant stream of friends and family coming checking in on Trisha,” Healey added of her sister-in-law. “The nurses and the doctors here (at Regina General) are unbelievable. Just amazing. I don’t think we could ever express how thankful we are for them.”
After the crash, the scene was investigated by White Butte RCMP and an RCMP reconstructionist. The cause of the crash and whether charges will be laid have yet to be determined, RCMP said Wednesday.
A GoFundMe page set up by the family describes Meadow, who was just 20 days shy of her eighth birthday and attended Empire Community School in Moose Jaw, as “infectious,” and Trisha as a hard-working parent devoted to her daughter.
“It didn’t matter what mood you were in or what you were going through, she would do what she had to in order to make you smile,” the page reads.
“Her energy and her wild hair and big brown eyes left you in awe of her.”
Trisha works full-time in Moose Jaw, commuting from Grand Coulee. However, she now faces a lengthy hospitalization and an indefinite period unable to work. The funds raised will help cover Meadow’s funeral, household bills, a memorial, accommodation for visiting family members, food and other expenses.
To help, visit gofundme.com and search “Meadow’s fund.”