VISALIA, Calif. — Family members and friends are reaching out to help a Belle Plaine native recover following a crash that claimed the lives of her husband and the couple's beloved dog.
A GoFundMe account set up for Ally Giesen says she, her husband and high school sweetheart Marcus, a friend and the couple's doodle Sky were headed to Yosemite National Park for a getaway the morning of Saturday, July 13 when the crash occurred. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) says the vehicle they were in left the road near Pixley, Calif. and struck a guard rail.
Marcus Giesen was airlifted to a hospital in Visalia where he died from his injuries. Ally was taken to the same hospital by ambulance with critical injuries, including a fractured skull and associated brain bleed, along with broken bones in her arm, hand, wrist, neck, back and face.
The couple's dog Sky also died in the crash, while the person who was driving was treated at the scene. The CHP says everyone in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt.
"In addition to the heartache of losing her life partner, Ally is facing a long recovery to be made physically whole again," reads the GoFundMe post. "As if these devastating tasks have not been enough to navigate, the process is made more difficult by the fact that not only is Ally being treated hundreds of miles from her and Marcus' home near Los Angeles, their parents, Robin (Duffney) & Matt Fink and Nicole (Wallat) & Dan Giesen, have traveled nearly 2,000 miles from their home state of Minnesota to be there to support Ally, all while grieving the loss of Marcus."
Organizers say donations to the GoFundMe will be used to cover Ally's medical bills and continuing care, plus help with the financial hardships faced by family members traveling to California to help with her recovery. So far more than $62,000 of the $75,000 goal has been raised.
Ally's mom Robin posted on her CaringBridge page that her daughter remains in the ICU for extra care while her neck and back heal. She had her first physical therapy session on Wednesday and was able to sit up for the first time since the crash. She thanked everyone who has reached out and included Ally in their thoughts.
