SYRACUSE, Utah (KTVX) — A Utah teen was treated to quite the early Christmas present thanks to a country music star.
Sarah Frei, a 17-year-old from Syracuse, Utah, was given a brand new handicap-accessible SUV by her favorite country music singer, Russell Dickerson.
Sarah was tragically injured after she was hit head-on by a drunk driver while riding in a car with three friends on July 30. As a result of the crash, Sarah was left paralyzed from the waist down, forcing doctors to amputate both of her legs.
Sarah’s community rallied around her when she needed it the most, not only with emotional support but also by raising money for her GoFundMe campaign, which has now raised over $85,000.
But Sarah didn’t let her injuries stop her. She documented her difficult road to recovery on her Instagram account, which has over 74,000 followers supporting her #sarahstrong campaign.
After 75 days in the hospital, 20 surgeries, and over 70 hours of therapy, Sarah was able to return home on October 15. She marked the occasion with a teary-eyed Instagram post lying with her parents in a hospital bed.
And once again, Sarah’s community stepped up and gave her a homecoming parade she wouldn’t forget:
Sarah’s incredible resilience gained national attention, as she documented her recovery from the hospital on Instagram. One of those Instagram posts caught the attention of country singer Russell Dickerson, who happens to be Sarah’s favorite artist.
Sarah, a cheerleader at Clearfield High School, was practicing a dance routine to Dickerson’s song “Home Sweet” from her hospital bed.
Seeing the video, Dickerson soon learned about Sarah’s accident, and how one of the first question’s Sarah asked after waking up from surgery was “Will I ever be able to drive again?”
Dickerson said he heard about Sarah’s journey and asked himself “What can we do to just absolutely make her life?”
So Dickerson teamed up with Chevrolet to surprise Sarah with a brand new, handicap-accessible, 2021 Chevrolet Traverse.
During what Sarah thought was an interview with a magazine, Dickerson joined a zoom call with her and shared how her story inspired him and people across the country. He then told her to check the driveway of her home, where a teary-eyed Sarah found the car custom fit to her needs.
