Support pouring in for Vernon woman who nearly died earlier this month

Photo: GoFundMe

Friends and family are rallying around a Vernon woman after a near-death experience.

Life changed for Ashley Ashworth and her family on Jan. 22 as they were driving through Washington State.

According to a GoFundMe started by Stephanie Bellows to the support the family, Ashley started to experience severe pain in her abdomen which continued for several hours until she lost consciousness in the car.

“She was rushed by ambulance to a small, local hospital, where it was determined that she had severe internal bleeding. The hospital was too small to accommodate the necessary urgent surgery, and plans were made to air vac her to Seattle,” Bellows said. “A powerful storm grounded the helicopter, and she would not survive the four-hour ambulance ride. Around 11 p.m., it was decided that the only option was to receive surgery at this small hospital to save her life. The staff there consulted via phone with specialists to navigate through the surgery and against all odds, Ashley made it through.”

Ashley lost four litres of blood, resulting in hemorrhagic shock and extremely low blood pressure. She required seven blood transfusions, several plasma transfusions and emergency abdominal surgery to remove a ruptured ovary and repair the hemorrhage.

Ashley and Tim returned to Vernon on Jan. 24.

The couple have four young sons and recently purchased the local Snap-On tool franchise.

“Through this campaign, I hope to support their family financially, with donations being used to cover the medical bills associated with Ashley's life-saving surgery,” Bellows said. “As they were out of the country, their insurance does not fully cover those expenses. Also, Ashley will have ongoing care to recover and with a young family to support, these donations will also be used to cover basic needs while Tim is off work. Being self-employed and taking time off of work can be very financially straining.”