Taylor Swift has quietly dropped $50,000 into a GoFundMe for a Connecticut mother who nearly died shielding teenagers from a second crash on a rain-soaked highway.
The “Cruel Summer” singer, 36, left her mark on Ashley Taunton’s fundraiser with a message that read simply: “Wishing you the best recovery possible and sending love to your family!” She signed it, “Taylor.” The donation instantly became the largest single contribution to the campaign supporting the 42-year-old certified nursing assistant and her family.
Taunton was driving on I-95 South in Rhode Island with her youngest daughter on July 18 when she spotted three teenagers stranded after their vehicle hydroplaned during a severe rainstorm. The mom pulled over, left her daughter safely inside her own vehicle, and went to help.
“When I see there’s somebody in trouble, I tend to want to go help,” Taunton said of her split-second decision.
The teens were already “a little bit banged up” from their initial crash when Taunton approached. As she worked to move them out of harm’s way, another vehicle lost control on the wet roadway and barreled toward the group. Taunton managed to push one teenager clear before the vehicle struck her directly.
The injuries were devastating. Taunton suffered multiple fractured ribs, a ruptured diaphragm, internal bleeding, and damage to both her liver and spleen. Emergency crews rushed her to Rhode Island Hospital, where doctors began treating wounds that will require what could stretch into a year-long recovery with extensive physical therapy.
In a twist that bound the rescue even tighter to her community, Taunton later discovered that one of the teenagers she helped save was Vinny, the son of her longtime friend Jamie O’Rourke.
Taunton recalled her friend’s raw reaction upon learning who had saved her son. “Oh my gosh, that was Ashley? She saved my son’s life,” O’Rourke said, according to Taunton’s account. O’Rourke separately told local outlet WPRI that Taunton “was so courageous to put herself in danger.”
The near-fatal encounter has reshaped how Taunton sees her own survival. The mother of three, who shares her children with husband Joe, said she is grateful to be alive and has learned not to take time with loved ones for granted as she faces the grueling rehabilitation ahead.
Swift’s gift arrived through the GoFundMe launched to help cover expenses for Taunton’s family while she cannot work. The $50,000 infusion dwarfed other donations and drew fresh attention to a fundraiser that had been circulating among local supporters and friends of the Taunton family.
The contribution fits a years-long pattern for the Grammy winner, who has built a reputation for directing substantial sums toward food banks, disaster-relief operations, and fans navigating financial crises — often with little advance publicity.
Taunton’s rescue unfolded on a stretch of interstate made treacherous by pounding rain, where a first accident set the stage for a second, more violent collision. She had stopped with no guarantee of safety, moved toward strangers in distress, and placed her body between a sliding vehicle and a teenager who had no chance to escape alone.
The sacrifice left her hospitalized with internal wounds that will demand months of rebuilding. Through it all, she has maintained the reflex that sent her toward the crash site in the first place — the same impulse she named plainly when asked why she stopped.
Taunton’s GoFundMe remains active as donations continue to arrive from supporters moved by her story and now amplified by Swift’s spotlight.