While most of us understand in the abstract that we could go at any time, that doesn’t make it any less haunting when that reality suddenly emerges and what should seem like a normal day suddenly turns tragic.
And it seems particularly devastating when an activity that should bring a family joy ends up scarring it forever. Such a tragedy came true for the family of a classmate when a skiing trip held back in high school turned deadly, and it came true yet again over the weekend.
But in the case we’re about to examine today, the courage and selfless nature of one fallen teen shone through her darkest final moments.
Among her peers at Niagara Wheatfield High School, 16-year-old Renee Hill was known as a quiet, yet fierce lacrosse player.
As her mother, Alexis Kraft, told WKBW, “We would love to go watch her play lacrosse because she really was amazing. All the parents and all the other girls on the team would call her the beast because once she got on the field, she would just go hard.”
And while she was just as strong off the field, that strength was characterized by her loving tenderness, especially toward her three younger siblings.
In Kraft’s words, “She was a mama bear for sure. She could get them in line really quick but she was loving and they all loved her.”
On the morning of February 6, Hill went on a sledding trip with her cousins.
According to NBC News , this idea led them to Clyde L. Burmaster Park in Lewiston, New York, where disaster would emerge at 10:14 am.
Hill and her three-year-old cousin ended up riding a sledding tube before striking a tree at the bottom of the hill.
Despite the best efforts of first responders and emergency crews, Hill’s heart would stop beating on the way to the hospital.
As The Rome Sentinel reported , she would later be pronounced dead at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.
As for the boy she was riding with, he would be treated and eventually released from the very same hospital.
And her parents would later confirm that the difference between Hill’s injuries and her cousin’s came down to a final, heroic act on her part.
According to them, Hill was fully aware that she and her cousin were headed straight for the tree.
And as Kraft told WKBW, “Her first instinct was to put her foot down and flip the sled so my nephew wouldn’t get hurt. She hit the tree. Her heart stopped on the way to the hospital.”
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She then added, “Everyone’s calling her a hero. But that was my baby.”
While the park where the incident occurred remains closed and the case remains under investigation, Hill’s community has shown their appreciation for her sacrifice.
When a GoFundMe campaign was set up to cover her funeral expenses, people responded passionately.
Enough so, in fact, that it has raised $29,314 at the time of this writing.
This number eclipses the campaign’s $25,000 goal but donations are still continuing to roll in five days after the campaign was launched.
Hill’s parents are now thanking their community for the support they’ve received in the wake of this tragedy.
And Kraft shared a message encouraging us to appreciate those who are precious to us while we can.
As she put it, “Don’t take one minute for granted with your babies. Tell them you love them. Every minute. Every chance you get.”
h/t: WKBW