Taylor Swiftis sending a message in a bottle after a stranger’s act of kindness.
After Connecticut mom Ashley Taunton was severely injured in a car accident following a selfless act, the Grammy winner publicly shared her support by donating $50,000 to a GoFundMe page organized to help with the cost of her recovery, E! News can confirm.
Swift sent a sweet message on the fundraiser’s page alongside her donation, writing on Aug. 28, “Wishing you the best recovery possible and sending love to your family! Taylor.”
According to the GoFundMe—which was set up by Taunton’s family friend Laura Ortelt—the mom of three was recently involved in a tragic accident after she intervened to help others who had been in a car crash on a highway.
“On Saturday, July 18th, during a severe rainstorm on I-95, Ashley did what she always does: she put others before herself,” Ortelt wrote. “Seeing someone in urgent need after a car accident, she pulled over to help. As [Taunton’s husband Joe] so perfectly puts it, it was just ‘Ashley doing Ashley things.’”
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“While she was assisting another vehicle hydroplaned and came hurtling directly toward them,” the description continued. “In a split-second act of pure bravery, Ashley pushed the other person out of harm’s way, taking the brunt of the impact herself.”
Due to her “selfless courage,” Taunton faces a “very long and difficult road” ahead as she undergoes surgeries and recovers from her life-threatening injuries.
Despite the challenges she’ll continue to face while healing, Taunton couldn’t be more grateful for Swift’s generous contribution to the GoFundMe.
“This is absolutely mind-blowing and so very humbling. @taylorswift you are a beautiful soul I wish I could hug you IRL,” she wrote on Instagram Aug. 28 alongside a screenshots of Swift’s message and news of her donation. “Maybe the next time your [sic] in Westerly I live 20 minutes away.”
“Thank you Jesus for so many amazing humans,” she continued. “This is unbelievable and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. To God be the glory!”
And as a social media user noted on Taunton’s post, many Swifties are following the “Opalite” singer’s lead, flooding the fundraiser with $13 contributions—the dollar amount representing Swift’s known favorite number.
The GoFundMe has received over $75,000 in donations as of Aug. 29, surpassing the halfway mark to its $110,00K goal.
While the journey to healing won’t be easy, Taunton—a former nursing assistant—shared that she didn’t hesitate to help someone who was “in trouble.”
“It feels weird if people call me a hero,” she told People in an interview published Aug. 23. “I’m just a mom. Somebody was hurting. That’s just what you do. But I’m glad that I was there at that moment.”
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