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Taylor Swift donates Ksh6.4M to mum who was hit by car while saving stranger
30th August, 2026 03:37 AM
Taylor Swift has stepped in with a staggering Ksh6.4 million donation for an American mother of three who was seriously injured after putting her own life on the line to save strangers involved in a road accident.
The Grammy-winning singer donated $50,000, approximately Ksh6.4 million, to a GoFundMe fundraiser supporting Connecticut mother Ashley Taunton, who is facing a long and difficult recovery after she was struck by a vehicle while helping teenagers involved in another crash.
Swift accompanied the hefty contribution with a brief but touching message directed at Taunton and her family, offering encouragement as the mother continues her recovery.
“Wishing you the best recovery possible and sending love to your family! Taylor.”
The donation quickly became one of the most significant contributions to the fundraiser, which was established to help Taunton, her husband Joe and their three children cope with the financial strain brought about by her injuries and prolonged recovery.
For Taunton, the gesture was difficult to comprehend, with the mother expressing shock and gratitude after discovering that one of the world’s biggest music stars had contributed to her recovery.
She shared a screenshot of Swift’s message and donation online, describing the unexpected support as deeply humbling.
“This is absolutely mind-blowing and so very humbling.”
Taunton then directed her gratitude towards Swift, saying she wished she could personally thank the singer for the extraordinary gesture.
“@taylorswift, you are a beautiful soul. I wish I could hug you IRL,” she wrote.
She also jokingly suggested that the two could perhaps meet the next time Swift was in her area.
“Maybe the next time you’re in Westerly, I live 20 minutes away.”
The mother further expressed her gratitude for the people who had rallied around her family during one of the most difficult periods of her life.
“Thank you, Jesus, for so many amazing humans,” she said.
She ended the message by acknowledging the overwhelming nature of the support she had received.
“This is unbelievable and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. To God be the glory!”
Act of kindness
Taunton’s ordeal began on July 18 when she was travelling along Interstate 95 in Rhode Island with her youngest daughter during a severe rainstorm.
While on the highway, she noticed that a vehicle carrying three teenagers had hydroplaned and crashed.
Rather than drive past the scene, Taunton pulled over and went towards the teenagers to offer assistance.
Her decision was consistent with the way she had always approached situations where someone appeared to be in trouble.
“When I see there’s somebody in trouble, I tend to want to go help.”
Taunton, a former certified nursing assistant, left her daughter inside their vehicle and went towards the crash victims.
The situation, however, suddenly became far more dangerous when another vehicle lost control on the rain-soaked road and came hurtling towards the people at the scene.
In a split-second decision, Taunton pushed one of the teenagers out of the vehicle’s path, putting herself directly in harm’s way.
She managed to move the teenager to safety but was struck by the vehicle herself.
The impact left the mother with life-threatening injuries, including multiple fractured ribs, a ruptured diaphragm and internal bleeding, forcing her into a prolonged hospital stay and a difficult rehabilitation journey.
Taunton underwent several major surgeries as doctors worked to treat the injuries she suffered in the collision.
Her recovery is expected to be lengthy, with physical therapy forming part of the road back to normal life. Some reports have indicated that her recovery could take as long as a year.
Author
Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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