A roller-skating fundraiser for Allie Pomianowski — a 2007 San Lorenzo Valley High graduate who was paralyzed from the chin down after suffering a broken neck in a car accident — is Saturday, June 6, at the Scotts Valley Sports and Events Center.
Pomianowski, a former runner for SLV High who worked as a teacher’s aide at Circle of Friends Preschool in Scotts Valley, suffered a broken neck and a torn artery in her neck on April 7 when she crashed a Mustang convertible on Mt. Hermon Road in Felton on a wet road.
Since surgery, Pomianowski has been receiving rehabilitation treatment in the trauma center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, far from her family’s home in Felton.
“She’s made some progress,” said Deborah Herting, Pomianowski’s mom. “But we’ve had some scary incidents and setbacks.”
Pomianowski still depends on a ventilator to breathe, and a recent malfunction left her without breath for a couple of minutes last week, Herting said.
“We thought we were going to lose her,” she said.
Pomianowski is in a fragile condition, but she is learning to use a valve that allows her to speak. On Monday, June 1, she ate a small amount of yogurt— an eighth of a teaspoon — for the first time, Herting said. She spends a few hours out of bed in a wheelchair each day, and doctors hope she can go home in a month.
Friends often visit Pomianowski.
“Her father and I and our family really thank everybody for all their support,” Herting said. “I don’t know what we’d do without it. I really don’t.”
Stacey Botkin, the owner of Circle of Friends Preschool, is the organizing force behind the skate night.
“We loved her; she was fabulous,” Botkin said. “It’s a great loss here.”
A raffle, silent auction and roller skating will help Pomianowski’s family cope with the costs associated with Pomianowski’s hospital care.
For updates: www.rallyforallie.blogspot.com
AT A GLANCE
What: Rally for Allie roller-skating fundraiser
Where: Scotts Valley Sports Center
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 6
Cost: $10 at the door
