Rachael Angle and her daughter Harley-Anne. Photo courtesy of Amy Meinke.

The community is rallying behind a 16-year-old Golden Valley High School student who is fighting to save her leg after she was hit by a car while riding a scooter.

Harley-Anne Laub, 16, was riding home on July 28 when at approximately 8 p.m. on Sierra Highway a Kia Sedan, headed southbound near Dockweiler Drive, struck her, causing major injuries, especially to her lower right leg.

Harley-Anne and her brother Mason Meinke-Horn. Photo courtesy of Amy Meinke.

In addition to other injuries, which included a collapsed lung and broken ribs, Laub suffered multiple fractures to her pelvis and right leg. She now is battling, according to her mother, Rachael Angle, to keep her leg.

“Spirits are still high, but there’s just a lot of procedures that have to currently still be done because they don’t even know if they’re going to be able to save her leg,” said Angle. ”It’s kind of just one procedure at a time.”

Two of the three fractures in her pelvis will heal on their own, as well as the ribs, according to Angle. Her respiratory levels are also returning to normal.

One of Laub’s arteries was severed in two places in her shin and an eight-and-a-half-hour-long surgery followed by some subsequent tissue reconstruction has given the family hope. However, they’re still waiting to learn if the nerves in her leg are still functioning.

Harley and her little sister, River Angle.Photo courtesy of Amy Meinke.

“It’s heart-wrenching to see a bright, very energetic, very athletic young lady, you know being strapped down to a bed and possibly having to lose a limb,” said Angle, adding that her daughter plays on the junior varsity Golden Valley soccer team. “The doctors did say that if it had been an adult with these types of injuries they would have immediately amputated.”

“But being the fact that she is 16 they’re still hoping for the best, and youth is on her side,” said Angle.

In an effort to assist with some of the costs associated with the medical expenses and soon-to-be-undertaken recovery/rehabilitation for Laub, the family established a GoFundMe page.

Harley’s AYSO 2019 Official Photo Courtesy Amy Meinke

“We’re using the funds for a lot of medical expenses and there’s going to need to be a lot of different equipment at the house,” said Angle. “We have stairs that lead up to our front door. We’re going to need to get a ramp.”

The family asked for the community’s help in possibly finding a handyman or contractor who might be able to donate their time in helping create the ramp and/or installing some of the equipment needed, such as handrails, in Laub’s future recovery.

The family had also asked to find the first responders and pedestrians who helped their daughter after the collision, wanting to thank them.

“We’re trying to find the first responders and the pedestrians, who were at the scene even prior to the first responders,” said Angle. “We’re desperately trying to find them so we can give them our gratitude and love.”
Those wishing to donate or learn more on how to assist Laub can visit the GoFundMe page at https://bit.ly/2Vkqzqq.