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Family Needs Urgent Help After Horrific Car Accident in Texas

Sunday 8 November 2015, 1:20PM

By RedPR

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Cara-Joy Purkis
Cara-Joy Purkis Credit: Courtney Washington
Cara-Joy's step sister, Courtney Washington
Cara-Joy's step sister, Courtney Washington Credit: Courtney Washington
Cara-Joy's vehicle that was hit by an 18 wheeler truck
Cara-Joy's vehicle that was hit by an 18 wheeler truck Credit: Courtney Washington

“We need to get her home.”

That from Christchurch ex-pat Courtenay Washington, the step sister of a young woman whose vehicle was hit by an eighteen wheel truck in Texas two weeks ago.

Cara-Joy Purkis, who has been out of NZ for fourteen years but is also originally from Christchurch, has been in a coma since the horrific accident, and Courtenay says If she is not flown home, she will inevitably be moved into a "care facility" where the level of care may be inferior to what she is currently receiving at the University Medical Centre where she remains in a coma.  

“She needs to be in a hospital so getting her home is our number one priority. We feel optimistic that with proper hospital care we will eventually get her back, but the reality is that this will happen in New Zealand far more easily than in the US. She needs to be at home surrounded by her family,” says Courtenay.

30 year old Purkis does not have health or life insurance so her family and friends set up two fundraising pages ( https://www.gofundme.com/n56s8wzp and https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/getcarahome ) but they are struggling to raise the large amount money needed to get Cara-Joy home.

“People have generously donated just over $20,000 but it could cost around US$270,000 just to Medevac her home, and then there is the cost of ongoing care, so you can see how far we have to go,” says Courtenay. “Our parents are retirement age and we are all helping as much as we can but we thought we need to get some more financial support for what is certain to be almost unaffordable,” she says.

ENDS

Background from Courtenay Washington:

Cara-Joy was hit by an 18-wheeler truck (think Optimus Prime) when she missed a stop-sign at an intersection and got hit with the full force of the truck travelling at speed.  It’s incredible that she did not die there and then. She was in the middle of nowhere in Texas where they did not have a trauma 1 unit which she needed so was airlifted immediately to Lubbock in Texas which was the closest.  She has had several surgeries to repair injuries.  She’s still in a coma at University Medical Centre in Texas (UMC). 

Cara-Joy was uninsured so there is no coverage for any of the costs and as you know – healthcare in the USA is crippling if you’re not covered, and sometimes even if you are.  We've also been told that as Cara has been away from New Zealand for the time that she has, she is ineligible for ACC, so there will be significant costs there also, but it's absolutely necessary with the kind of brain injury that she has sustained. 

I’m trying basically everything I can from here to raise as much goodwill as possible to assist the family tackle this enormous challenge. My step-dad’s (Graham Purkis) contact details are available from Ali Jones if you need them; he is at Cara-Joy’s bedside in Texas, which is 5 hours ahead of NZ but a day behind.

I am available too and Ali has my contact details - I’m in California where I teach - we are 3 hours ahead of NZ but a full day behind.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact Ali Jones in Christchurch, NZ on 0272473112 or email ali@alijonespr.co.nz