A young Argentinian ballerina training in British Columbia is in a coma after a rollerblading accident, and friends are desperately trying to raise $100,000 to help cover her rehabilitation costs.
Lucila Munaretto, 20, was rollerblading in the Metro Vancouver suburb of North Vancouver on Thursday morning when she hit a van after failing to stop at a stop sign.
"It must have been a very high impact because she went through the driver's side window, into the car," said Katie Bois, rehearsal director at Pacific DanceArts, the dance academy that offers the Coastal City Ballet program where Munaretto trains.
Munaretto is now lying in a hospital bed in a medically induced coma. She suffered severe head injuries in the crash and underwent surgeries to stabilize her spine and reconstruct her jaw. Witnesses say wasn't wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
"We don't know the extent of her brain injury at the moment," Bois told CTV News Channel. "The sedation has been lowered so we're waiting for her to wake up so that we can get a full diagnosis of her brain injuries."
Munaretto arrived in Vancouver two-and-a-half years ago on a scholarship from Coastal City Ballet. Before, she was living in Brazil with her family and training at a local dance school.
While in Canada, Munaretto and her sister have been staying with a host family in the area, and members of that family are holding out hope for her recovery.
"Lucila is a person of extraordinary character, is extremely hard working and incredibly charming," says Tom Orlowski, a member of the host family. "She's moving along but she's got a long way to go. Lucila is a real fighter…if anyone can come back from this, she can."
Coastal City Ballet and Pacific DanceArts are leading the charge in fundraising for Munaretto's rehabilitation, starting a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising $100,000.
"Everyone who is close to Lucila is extremely shocked by the news, and trying desperately to do anything they can to help her," Bois said.
Munaretto has a basic medical service plan in the province, which covers her treatment in hospital. However, the coverage does not cover her rehabilitation costs or pay for the travel expenses of family members who want to visit her in B.C.
Munaretto's mother flew in on Sunday morning, while her father and two brothers stayed behind in Brazil.
Initially the goal was to pay to bring Munaretto's entire family to Vancouver, but now the dance groups also want to help cover costs during her recovery and rehabilitation.
More than $24,000 had been raised as of Monday afternoon.
"The money will go toward things like her rehab that's not covered by the basic medical," Bois said. "Anything we can try and do to get her dancing again. That's the ultimate goal."
