Taylor Swift donates $50,000 to help cover medical bills for a woman who risked her life: Who is Ashley Taunton?
The mother of three was struck by a car after stopping to help teenagers during a rainstorm
Ashley Taunton had already endured the kind of summer that changes a family’s life. Then, on the way to physical therapy, came a phone call she never expected.
The 42-year-old mother of three, who suffered life-threatening injuries after stopping to help teenagers stranded on a rain-soaked Rhode Island highway, learned that Taylor Swift had donated $50,000 to the fundraiser helping cover her medical bills and household expenses. The reaction was immediate.
“He said, ‘No way. Supposedly Taylor Swift just donated $50,000 to the GoFundMe,’” Taunton recalled of her husband, Joe. “Then my stomach flipped and I got tears in my eyes but also was in disbelief.”
Swift also left a short message with the contribution: “Wishing you the best recovery possible and sending love to your family!”
Taunton said the gesture felt almost impossible to process.
“It is so surreal to have someone of her status do something so kind and generous for a regular person,” Taunton said.
Taunton injured after stopping to help teenagers
The accident happened July 18 on I-95 South in Rhode Island. Taunton came across a group of teenagers whose vehicle had hydroplaned in bad weather and stopped to help.
While trying to move them away from danger, another car hydroplaned and struck her.
“It just felt like a big explosion,” Taunton 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 injuries included bilateral internal carotid artery dissection, liver and spleen lacerations, broken ribs and a ruptured diaphragm.
She has undergone major medical treatment and faces what could be a year of physical therapy.
The fundraiser was created to help the family manage expenses not covered by insurance, as well as groceries, travel, bills and care for their children and animals.
Swift’s donation hit close to home
The gift carried another layer of significance because Swift was already part of the family’s everyday life.
Taunton and her husband work near Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island, not far from Swift’s home in the state.
“We can see [Swift’s] house from our work, and her music is always streaming on our device,” Taunton said. “So this was mind-blowing!”
She added that the money will allow the family to focus more on recovery and less on financial pressure.
“These donations will help us manage bills and care for our animals and children so I can focus on healing,” she said.
Taunton also said she wished she could thank Swift personally: “I still don’t even know how to articulate how thankful we are and I wish I could hug Taylor and everyone who has blessed us.”
The donation doesn't erase the long recovery ahead. But after a summer defined by trauma, it gave Taunton and her family one unexpected moment of relief, and one they are unlikely to forget.
