Hundreds of people showed up to a fundraiser Friday night for a Templeton teenager recovering after she was hit by a car last week.
The town of Templeton has come together to make sure that Addy Nixon’s medical expenses are paid for as the 15-year-old begins rehabilitation.
The long road to recovery is just beginning for Nixon who was hit by a car near the intersection of Tablas Road and Hawley Street last Thursday.
“I think when everyone heard about the tragedy, especially as parents, your heart breaks,” said Janel Armet, who knows Addy.
The high-school freshman was airlifted to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera following the accident.
She is slowly but surely starting to regain function.
“She didn’t have any use of her hands or her toes or her feet and she’s progressed. She can use her left hand,” said Dianna Vonderheide. “Today, she had a big goal of getting in her wheelchair three times for the day and she did it.”
Addy’s best friends are visiting her on a regular basis and remain in constant contact.
“She’s doing really good. I saw her Sunday and I’m seeing her Monday and we get texts from her,” said Emery Vonderheide, who is one of Addy’s best friends.
“She sends me videos. She has a lot of spirit and she’s one of the bravest people I’ve ever met,” added Eva Pontius, another of Addy’s best friends.
The community now wants to make sure that Addy and her family are taken care of.
“When she gets home, we want to be sure that her mom can be there with her and support her in that recovery because that relationship is so important,” explained Armet.
Barton Family Wines hosted a fundraiser for Addy on Friday night.
“It was pretty amazing. We put this together in four days and the entire community has come out to support what we’re doing here tonight,” said Barton Family Wines co-owner Jenny Barton.
The event included food, drinks, and a live auction with some very valuable items.
“We had somebody donate some VIP Taylor Swift tickets that I know were worth about $12,000,” added Barton.
Community members are hoping to help Addy’s mom and her brother get through difficult times ahead.
“What’s come out of it is from extreme horror to hope. I think that with the community stepping in, there’s been this hope that was created,” said Rebekah Carvalho who was Addy’s second-grade teacher.
A GoFundMe has raised nearly $85,000 and that doesn’t include Friday night’s fundraiser.
Officers say the 38-year-old driver involved in last week’s collision stayed on the scene and cooperated after the accident.
Drugs or alcohol are not believed to be factors.
