Fundraiser Held for Model Recovering from Propeller Accident
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ABC News(PLANO, Texas) — Friends and community members came out for a fundraiser Tuesday night to assist model and fashion editor Lauren Scruggs with her medial bills after an accident with a plane propeller sliced off her hand and left her face disfigured.
The event, which took place at Sambucco 360 in Plano, Texas, featured a silent auction where local businesses donated gifts including a pearl necklace and earrings, while a local restaurant donated a cocktail party for 12.
“Tonight is about celebrating — it is about celebrating that Lauren Scruggs is going to come back 10 times stronger than she was before this accident,” LeeAnne Locken, the night’s emcee, told the crowd gathered on Tuesday.
Scruggs was badly injured on Dec. 3 when she walked into a moving plane propeller that sliced through her face, shoulder and left hand. She had just gotten off of the plane where she was viewing Christmas lights from above with a friend.
The communications graduate, who worked on the set of the hit TV series Gossip Girl, has been in severe pain since the accident and on Dec. 15 doctors performed surgery to remove her left eye. Through it all, Scruggs and her family have remained positive, as she makes strides in her recovery — walking, biking, even picking out her clothes and dressing herself.
“I’m really here for them — it’s a difficult time for them — Lauren’s got a long road ahead in recovery — they’re just a genuine family,” attendee Eric Krisher said Tuesday night.
“By the grace of God, Lauren is doing amazingly well. It is truly a miracle to think of how far she has come in such a short amount of time,” Janee Harrell, Scruggs’ friend told ABC News. “Her mind and her outlook and her spirit is amazing … her beauty is truly from within.”
Scruggs is working hard on occupational therapy now, and her pain is getting better every day. Her family continues to pray that it will keep improving, and they say she is looking for natural alternatives to the pain medication she is on now.
Tuesday night’s fundraiser reportedly raised over $10,000 for Scruggs.
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