Pop superstar Taylor Swift has contributed $50,000 to a GoFundMe campaign supporting Ashley Taunton, a 42-year-old certified nursing assistant from Connecticut who was critically injured while saving teenagers on a highway in Rhode Island. Swift left a message on the fundraising page on August 28, writing, "Wishing you the best recovery possible and sending love to your family!"
The life-altering incident occurred on July 18 on I-95 South in Rhode Island during a severe rainstorm. Taunton, a mother of three, stopped her vehicle to assist a group of teenagers whose car had hydroplaned on the wet road. As she was helping them on the side of the highway, another vehicle hydroplaned and careened directly toward the group. In a split-second decision, Taunton pushed another person out of the path of the oncoming vehicle, absorbing the full force of the impact herself.
In a subsequent interview published on August 23, Taunton recalled the terrifying moment of the crash. "It just felt like a big explosion," she said. "I just remember being on the ground, and I could see my ankle was just hanging there. I went to try to get up, and I couldn’t breathe." Her daughter quickly ran to her side and remained with her until emergency responders arrived, which Taunton said "felt like forever." Realizing she had internal bleeding, Taunton prayed in the ambulance, fearing she would not survive.
Taunton was hospitalized in Rhode Island with severe, life-threatening injuries. Her medical diagnoses included bilateral internal carotid artery dissection, lacerations to her liver and spleen, multiple fractured ribs, and a ruptured diaphragm. She underwent two major surgeries within her first 18 hours at the hospital, with additional procedures scheduled afterward. Her full recovery, which will require extensive physical therapy, is expected to take up to 12 months.
The GoFundMe page was established by organizer Laura Ortelt to help the Taunton family cover expenses not met by insurance. These include daily household bills, groceries for Taunton’s three children, and travel and fuel costs for commuting to and from the hospital. The financial strain has been particularly difficult because Taunton's husband, Joe Taunton, who is the family's primary breadwinner, exhausted his allocated work leave while caring for his wife.
Just two hours before discovering Swift's massive donation, Taunton had been feeling deeply saddened by the emotional and physical toll her immobility was taking on her husband and children. Learning of the pop star's contribution on August 29 completely changed her outlook. "I'm so incredibly humbled and grateful that God uses people to bless us too much and that this story made it to people like Taylor Swift," Taunton said. "I wish I could hug Taylor in real life just to tell her how grateful I am."
Taunton, a Christian, explained that her faith played a major role in her decision to help the stranded teenagers. Despite the severe trauma and long recovery ahead, she insisted she would make the same choice again. "When I see there’s somebody in trouble, I tend to want to go help," she said, adding that she is "in awe of how evident God’s hand has been in all of this. He just put all the right people in all the right places to make it so that I’m going to recover."
The connection to Swift is also personal for the family. Taunton noted that she has long admired Swift’s songwriting and her ability to connect with people and "just be real." Additionally, she explained that Swift has felt like a part of their lives because they frequently see the singer's Rhode Island mansion from Misquamicut State Beach.
Ortelt, the fundraiser's organizer and a dedicated fan of Swift for two decades, was overcome with emotion when she saw the donation, stating she had to pull over her car in tears. "I’ve always known how generous she is, but experiencing it firsthand is surreal," Ortelt said. She added that "this is certainly a huge surprise and the generosity of Taylor is well known and appreciated."
Following Swift’s $50,000 contribution, her fan base quickly rallied. Numerous Swifties began donating in increments of $13, a direct reference to the singer's lucky number and her December 13 birthday. With this sudden surge in support, the GoFundMe campaign surpassed $74,000 as of August 29. Expressing her deep gratitude to the artist, Ortelt wrote, "And of course, immediately following, the $13 donations started coming in from Swifties all over. Taylor, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unimaginable kindness. You have once again changed someone's world with your generosity and humanity. You make the world a better place."
