Evelyn "Evey" Laux, a 17-year-old from Waterford, Wisconsin, was left paralyzed from the waist down following a car crash on January 3. Now, community members are rallying together, raising money for Evey's recovery and road to independence.

Leading up to the tragic accident, Evey had been visiting a friend in St. Paul, Nebraska, during a school break. While there, she persuaded her friend to allow her to drive his truck. She ultimately lost control after over-correcting the steering wheel, and the truck rolled.

Evey's friend was reportedly "thrown" from the vehicle but survived the crash, walking away with "minor scratches."

Evey, on the other hand, was "thrown into the backseat and pinned in a twisted position until the amazing rescue workers were able to remove her from the vehicle using the jaws of life."

The teen's iPhone and Life 360 app notified her parents that she'd been in an accident. They quickly got in their car and drove nine hours from their Wisconsin home to Evey's location. Along the way, they remained in contact with their daughter's medical team.

Upon speaking to a neurosurgeon, Evey's mom, Connie Laux, learned that her daughter's injuries were not life-threatening. Nonetheless, Evey's spine was "literally broke in half," and she would be paralyzed.

It took five hours for the neurosurgeon to fuse Evey's spine back together, but because it had been severed, she lost all bowel and bladder function. Additionally, she has no sensation or movement below her belly button.

Evey's mom has since launched a GoFundMe campaign. There, she wrote, "The first thing my daughter said to me was I am so sorry. The next comment was I will never be able to play softball, ride a horse, or be a veterinary surgeon."

Connie went on to detail how her family is doing everything they can to encourage Evey along her path to recovery. Yet, at the same time, the financial hardships their family is facing in the wake of the crash are daunting.

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Evey's parents will have to shift their careers and earn a decreased income, as well as make necessary home changes to accommodate Evey and her care.

This includes remodeling parts of their home to be wheelchair accessible, buying a lift to move Evey in and out of beds and chairs, installing ramps and stair lifts, and getting different wheelchairs, a hospital-style bed, a van with a ramp, and more.

Evey will remain in rehab for a few more months and necessitate in-home care until her parents are able to fulfill her care needs themselves.

Connie stated that her daughter "will have to learn how to be independent, but this may require several years of assistance before that can happen."

The GoFundMe campaign was launched with a goal of $250,000, and over 730 donors have managed to raise more than $88,000 thus far.

"It is not in our nature to ask for handouts, so this is very hard for me to post, but many of the medical professionals that have been involved in Evey's care really encouraged us to set this page up," Connie explained.

"I don't really understand fully what we will be up against, but any help at all would be greatly appreciated."

Community members in Waterford have rallied behind Evey, who's a junior at Waterford Union High School and is known for loving horseback riding and softball.

Even local businesses like Whole Harvest Meats, a butcher shop, have begun raising awareness of Evey's story and her GoFundMe.

"Waterford is more than a town; we are a family. And when one of us is hurting, we rally together. We lift each other up. We show up," Whole Harvest Meats wrote in a Facebook post.

"Evey's road to recovery will take incredible strength, grit, and determination, but she doesn't have to walk it alone. Together, we can rally around her and her family, showing what it means to be a true community."

In a GoFundMe update on January 11, a CaringBridge page set up on behalf of Evey was shared. On the page, Connie discussed how her family has received so much support and love.

"So many people have sent messages sharing their positive memories of Evey and how she has touched their lives," Connie said.

"We constantly share these thoughts with Evey so she can see the love surrounding her and what she's fighting for. When Evey sees the names, messages, and sheer number of people who have reached out in some way, she's amazed that so many genuinely care about her to this extent. The sparkle in her eyes is priceless."