After surviving plane crash with dad, Pa. girl loses ability to move legs, needs surgery: fundraiser

Patriot-News - 11/17/2021

Days after a 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl and her father miraculously survived a plane crash in the Poconos, her family has launched a GoFundMe page to help finance what promises to be the teen’s long and painful recovery.

Angela White and her dad, Chris, were on a recreational flight when their light plane went down in a forest in Luzerne County Sunday evening. The girl underwent her first surgery to treat her injuries on Tuesday, according to her mother Sharon White, who posted the update on the CaringBridge web site.

Chris White, who was the pilot, managed to crash-land in a way that, although the wings of the plane were sheared off by trees, let the cockpit and the rest of the fuselage intact, his wife said.

Sharon White said her husband and daughter, the only occupants of the Cessna 150, were both injured, but her daughter suffered the most serious wounds.

Sharon White said she called 911 Sunday when she realized the plane was missing. With help from the U.S. Air Force, rescuers were able to locate the position of the iPad Chris used to plot his flight plan, she said.

“Chris and Angela were found at the intersection of two trails, huddled together for warmth, as the temperature had decreased to 37 degrees Fahrenheit, and they were described by rescuers as ‘pre-hypothermic’,” Sharon White wrote.

The two were rushed to the hospital. During the trip, Angela lost the ability to move her legs, she said.

“She underwent a thorough evaluation and was found to have a skull fracture, small amount of bleeding on the brain, an aortic injury with right sided hemothorax, T12 vertebral compression fracture with compression of the spinal cord, and chemical versus thermal burns to her left posterior thigh and both lower legs,” the mother wrote.

She said Angela was flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville where she underwent spine decompression surgery on Tuesday.

Sharon White’s latest update stated the surgery “went well,” but that other operations might be necessary.

“The surgeon was cautious regarding the likelihood of return of lower extremity function and bowel/bladder function based on the mechanism of injury and findings on MRI,” she wrote. “However, we believe in a God that can overcome all obstacles! Please continue to pray for the swelling to decrease, and for her lower extremity function to be restored.”

She said her husband suffered multiple fractures and a concussion, but no life-threatening injuries.

Angela’s cousin Andy Thompson and his wife, Heidi, launched the GoFundMe page.

The South Carolina couple said Angela “will require ongoing therapy/rehab, and we are hoping that she is able to regain the ability to walk and use her legs.” Her father, meanwhile, must recover from painful injuries that will keep him from working for a while.

“We have no idea how much to expect with regard to medical expenses, equipment that will be required,” the Thompsons wrote.

As of Wednesday evening, more than $5,000 had been raised toward a goal of $10,000.