HUNTSVILLE, Texas A firefighter in Texas, who was shocked to realize his wife and son were involved in a crash he was called to, woke up to another surprise Taylor Swift had donated $15,000 to their medical funds.
Aaron Van Riper, assistant chief for the Thomas Lake Fire Department, was called to help at a head-on collision between a car and oncoming pickup truck, ABC 13 reported. He quickly discovered his wife, Amber, and young son, Jonathan, were victims in the accident.
It's my family. My wife was laying there on the ground. (By) the look of the car, I don't know how either one of them lived, Van Riper told ABC 13. There was nothing left of that car.
Both Amber and Jonathan, who goes by Bear, had to undergo surgery. Although both Aaron and Amber work, the Van Riper family does not have insurance, so friends set up a GoFundMe account to help with medical bills.
This is an outstanding family! They are involved with supporting our local community of Riverside and Fire Stations, friend Mandy Kibby wrote on the GoFundMe page. Amber and Bear will both be in wheelchairs leaving Aaron to take care of his family 24/7 in a house full of stairs.
Donations started pouring in, but friends and family awoke to a large surprise Thursday: a donor with the name Taylor Swift had given $15,000 to the cause.
Friends werent sure if it was a weird hoax, but a source confirmed to Buzzfeed News that it was indeed the real Taylor.
This woman is amazing, Kibby told Buzzfeed.
After a little digging, theblaze.com discovered Taylor had "favorited" a Buzzfeed News tweet about the original crash story right before the generous donation was made. More than $105,000 has been raised in four days.
Bear has been released from the hospital and has a cast on his arm and leg. Van Riper reported on the GoFundMe page that, to the exasperation of her doctors, Amber was feeling well enough to remove her feeding tube with her fractured hand. Van Riper says she is continuing to get better.
Swift is already known for her generous spirit she previously has surprised fans with intricate gifts and cancer patients with phone calls and visits.
Aaron Van Riper, assistant chief for the Thomas Lake Fire Department, was called to help at a head-on collision between a car and oncoming pickup truck, ABC 13 reported. He quickly discovered his wife, Amber, and young son, Jonathan, were victims in the accident.
It's my family. My wife was laying there on the ground. (By) the look of the car, I don't know how either one of them lived, Van Riper told ABC 13. There was nothing left of that car.
Both Amber and Jonathan, who goes by Bear, had to undergo surgery. Although both Aaron and Amber work, the Van Riper family does not have insurance, so friends set up a GoFundMe account to help with medical bills.
This is an outstanding family! They are involved with supporting our local community of Riverside and Fire Stations, friend Mandy Kibby wrote on the GoFundMe page. Amber and Bear will both be in wheelchairs leaving Aaron to take care of his family 24/7 in a house full of stairs.
Donations started pouring in, but friends and family awoke to a large surprise Thursday: a donor with the name Taylor Swift had given $15,000 to the cause.
Friends werent sure if it was a weird hoax, but a source confirmed to Buzzfeed News that it was indeed the real Taylor.
This woman is amazing, Kibby told Buzzfeed.
After a little digging, theblaze.com discovered Taylor had "favorited" a Buzzfeed News tweet about the original crash story right before the generous donation was made. More than $105,000 has been raised in four days.
Bear has been released from the hospital and has a cast on his arm and leg. Van Riper reported on the GoFundMe page that, to the exasperation of her doctors, Amber was feeling well enough to remove her feeding tube with her fractured hand. Van Riper says she is continuing to get better.
Swift is already known for her generous spirit she previously has surprised fans with intricate gifts and cancer patients with phone calls and visits.