More than half a million dollars has been gathered to aid an 11-year-old girl who survived a tragic car accident that claimed the lives of her entire family.
The young girl, referred to as Poppie to maintain her privacy, lost her mother, father, and two younger sisters in a collision with a motorbike in Yorkshire, England, last July.
Poppie’s parents, Shane Roller and Shannen Morgan, were driving a Ford Focus with their three daughters when the tragic incident occurred. Sadly, nine-year-old Rubie and four-year-old Lillie also perished in the crash.
The two individuals on the motorbike involved in the incident were also casualties.
Paul Hepple, a close friend of Poppie’s family, took her in and has been updating the public on her condition through a GoFundMe page established for her benefit.
On Friday, he posted an update: “It has been 12 weeks since the heart-breaking loss of Poppie’s family and 8 weeks since my last update. I want to apologize for the silence—I wanted to keep things low-key while the family tries to grieve and navigate this heartbreaking tragedy, as well as for the funeral and other arrangements to take place.
“Thanks to your incredible generosity, an astonishing £408,207 [$533,485] has been raised. The initial target was £3,000 [$3,920] to help with Poppie’s immediate needs, and I never could have imagined the outpouring of love and support that followed.
“There have been 22.5 thousand donations from people all over the world. Donations are now closed, as the amount raised is far beyond what anyone could have expected. It’s truly remarkable.”
Hepple further explained that the funds remain untouched and stated that ‘every single penny will go into a trust fund for Poppie’ to ensure it benefits her ‘long into the future’.
He added, “Poppie is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. She has bravely returned to school and, although she was nervous at first, she is slowly settling in.
“She is receiving therapy at school, which is helping her navigate her loss. Poppie and her Aunt, Faye, have also received invaluable support from Brake, the road safety charity, who have been instrumental in helping them manage the legal side of things and providing guidance.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and wish to speak with someone confidentially, reach out to The Compassionate Friends at (877) 969-0010.