Mother paralyzed from tree fall on car needs community help
The Aymond’s family is asking for the community’s help after Mary Jane Aggison, 53 is paralyzed from the stomach down following a tree falling on her car during the severe weather in St. Landry Parish.
OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) – The Aymond’s family is asking for the community’s help after Mary Jane Aggison, 53 is paralyzed from the stomach down following a tree falling on her car during the severe weather in St. Landry Parish.
According to the National Weather Service, two tornadoes passed and one in the Acadia Parish and St. Landry Parish line. Peggy Aymond, Mary’s sister described Wednesday morning of April 10th. She said there were a lot of people in a line of cars at the Yambilee building to do commodities. She was inside her car with her mother, Rose Aymond waiting for their turn.
“We didn't know if she [Mary] had made it here yet. Usually, she calls one of those and tells us we’re at the Yambilee building,” said Rose
The mother said the day was beautiful then all of a sudden the wind picked up and it started raining hard. “I was parked about five to six cars behind her [Mary]. The tree snapped. When the line flew, it flew right on the side of my truck and that's when I saw the whole tree come down,” said Peggy.
Peggy quickly jumped into action to help the people in need. Unknown to her, she would find out it was her sister Mary trapped inside her car when the tree fell. “I saw it was my sister's car. I pretty much freaked out, and kind of started trying to break limbs and everything else, trying to get to them,” said Peggy. “It was her boyfriend and another guy that was sitting in the car. I had a chance to break some of the windows to try to get them out, but there was nothing at the time that I could do because the tree was directly on her.”
The family said Aggison was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to a hospital in New Orleans for treatment. Naomi Aymond, daughter of Mary said, “She's on a ventilator. They’re having her sedated due to her pain and stuff so she doesn't feel too uncomfortable and also have her sedated due to the tubes being down her throat.”
She continued, “She's pretty intact. She knows what's going on. Now and then she's very aware that we're here and she's able to understand that we're here.”
“Going to the hospital and seeing her with the tubes and being in the critical condition that she is, can not breathe on her own is hard for everybody to see,” said Joseph Aymond, the son of Mary.
Naomi said the family is taking Mary’s condition hard. “We are all just very concerned about her and we loved the old her and want to go back to the old her but for everything, for the most, she just is being taken care of when it comes down to what she's going to need when she comes home,” she said.
Peggy said, “It’s pretty much a waiting game of how she's going to come out. We are just ready for her to come home, get well, and come home.”
Mary’s mother Rose said she’s standing strong for her family.
“It’s not good every day but it's getting a little bit better since Wednesday. I'm trying to stay strong and we pray asking the good Lord to bring her through.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe account if you would like to help.