Tragedy turns into an inspiring story of hope as a dying girl is able to raise more than $22,000 for a charity that provides drinking water to villages in Africa. As a Seattle wrongful death lawyer I have seen how difficult it is when a family loses a member, especially when that member was a child, and there is nothing that anyone can do to make the situation any better. But there are times when a tragic accident brings people together to raise awareness and make sure that the person didn’t die in vain.
We all saw and heard about the massive 15-car pileup on westbound Interstate 90 last week that injured many, but left 9-year-old Rachel Beckwith with injuries so severe that doctors knew they would be unable to save her. Rachel had just turned 9 and instead of asking for presents she had her mom help her setup an online donation page with “charity:water,” a nonprofit working in Africa to bring clean drinking water to people. Rachel had set a goal of $300, but by the time her birthday came she was $80 dollars short. Shortly after the accident the lead pastor at the church she attended gave the ok to put her donation page back up so that Rachel could meet her goal before passing away. But she far surpassed anything she ever hoped for and when doctors turned off her life support on Saturday, more than $22,000 had already been donated; now Rachel would not just be giving water but wells to villages.
As Rachel’s friends and family grieve over the loss of her innocent life donations continue to pour in. Rachel will leave behind a legacy of giving and love and will be missed by so many, and everyone here at Premier Law Group sends our thoughts to her family.
Click here to donate to Rachel’s charity: www.mycharitywater.org/p/campaign?campaign_id=16396