CRESTONE – Haley VanWalleghan is a bright 19-year-old girl who graduated from Crestone Charter Schools in May of 2024. 

VanWalleghan was in a single-person car accident on Feb. 18. VanWalleghan’s injuries were devastating. According to her parents, VanWalleghan was flown to UC Health Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs and immediately put in the Intensive Care Unit. VanWalleghan is recovering but has a long road ahead of her.  

Her father, Kevin VanWalleghan, spoke about the morning of the accident, and some of what his daughter has gone through. 

“I got a call saying that she was in an accident, and she was in the Del Norte hospital, it was about 8:30 a.m. I work in Monte Vista, and I just dropped everything and went to the hospital. She was in very critical condition. She had broken her neck. She had a compound fracture in her left arm. She had a possible fracture in her right-hand wrist. She had obvious damage from being in a rollover accident. The highway patrol said she probably rolled three times before the vehicle stopped,” he said. 

Kevin VanWalleghan said that he was told that the accident occurred about a quarter of a mile east of Saguache County Road 56 off Highway 112. 

“At that point they did what life saving medical they could do with Haley in Del Norte, and then they flew her to UCH Medical Hospital in Springs. I went back to work that morning, gathered up my stuff, took care of the essentials that I needed to take care of, and I drove up to Colorado Springs Hospital the day of the 18th,” he said.  

Kevin VanWalleghan said when he got to the hospital his daughter was in the ICU being stabilized.   

VanWalleghan’s mom, Maureen, said that she got the same call about her daughter’s accident, but at the time of the call she was in California with her mother. 

“It took me about 24 hours to drive from Riverside, Calif., to Colorado Springs. The doctors were keeping us apprised of what was happening on that drive. She went in for the first of a number of surgeries. She had surgery on her arm, and on her neck,” she said. 

Kevin VanWalleghan said they were told that Haley had somehow gone off the side of the road. 

“She isn’t clear what happened. She doesn’t remember that morning. She doesn’t remember most of the day before,” he said.  

Kevin VanWalleghan said that his daughter sustained many injuries including a large laceration on her head which had caused a concussion. 

“It was a 3-point cut, one going in three different directions. She was suffering from a concussion that they were monitoring. We were very fortunate that she did not have any bleeding or swelling on the brain from it. We were very fortunate there,” he said.  

Maureen VanWalleghan said that she was told Haley also had something going on with her eyes for a while, because she may have been hanging upside down when the ambulance found her in the car. 

“She was very swollen and also had to have an operation to relieve some pressure in her eyes to help her eyesight,” she said. 

Maureen VanWalleghan said they had were lucky Haley did not sustain brain damage, though she broke her C2 vertebrae and had to have surgery. The surgery fused together her C1, C2, C3 and C4. 

The VanWalleghans said that their daughter is moving in the right direction, that she had recently been to Denver for some rehab but was sent back to Colorado Springs, due to a setback with an infection that occurred in her neck when her vertebrae was originally fused. 

“She had been fighting a blood infection at the beginning, it was also part of her lungs, and then now it came back. This is the second clean out surgery she has had. She got rid of it the first time, so now it looks like she will get rid of it the second time too, but she will need medicine and recovery time,” Kevin VanWalleghan said.  

The VanWalleghans said that they were told Haley will be given rehab in Colorado Springs now, and she will stay there, rather than going back to Denver. 

Haley’s mom stated, “She is wearing a collar to stabilize her neck. She is able to walk and has not sustained any bad injuries in the lower half of her body other than bruising. She needs rehab for her arms. We are still figuring out what the total rehab process really looks like though.”  

Maureen VanWalleghan said that traveling and motels have been hard on the family, though Denver had a Ronald McDonald House they could offer, other accommodations had been hard. They will be staying in Colorado Springs now. They appreciate being able to get into a Ronald McDonald House in Springs, attached to the Children’s Hospital. They also appreciate the support they have been given during their time of need and currently a good friend has set up a GoFundMe to help with expenses. In time, Haley may also need assistive equipment and have further medical expenses when she gets out. All help is appreciated. Her parents want to express their gratitude and thank everyone for their prayers, financial donations, and numerous calls, texts, and support that they have offered to Haley’s family.  

If you would like to help you may donate to GoFundMe by looking up Haley VanWalleghan, “Support Haley’s Healing Journey.”   

The VanWalleghan’s stated that their daughter has a bright future ahead of her, before the accident she had become a service writer for an automotive business and is interested in working with cars.