A car crash that claimed the life of 12-year-old Evan Lodge last Sunday has now claimed the life of his sister Amanda.
She died in a Hamilton hospital Friday evening. She had been on life support after suffering a severe brain injury in the crash.
Amanda's organs have been donated to help others, the family reports.
Four members of the Lodge family were travelling home to Guelph from a cross-country skiing excursion last Sunday when they were struck by a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old male just south of Cambridge.
The impact forced the Lodge vehicle into oncoming traffic, where it was hit again by a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.
Evan died at the scene. Amanda was revived and rushed to hospital. Alyssa Lodge suffered serious injuries but is recovering well in hospital. Mom Susan, the fourth person in the vehicle, was not physically injured.
Susan shared her thoughts on the website caringbridge.org late Friday evening.
"To those of you still holding on to hope that Amanda's condition would improve, I am so sorry to have to tell you that she was declared clinically deceased (brain dead) this evening," she shared on the non-profit site, which allows people to share their medical journeys with those wondering and caring.
"We have known for several days that there was increasing evidence that her brain was in very bad shape, as there was just so much trauma and injury in so many areas. This allows Amanda to give the gift of life and become an organ donor. While our pain is so deep, there is some solace to know that many of her organs have already been matched and that our tragic loss will mean so much to several other families that will be spared the same pain."
She thanked everyone for their outpouring of support and noted that Alyssa is expected to make a full recovery.
"She has been a ray of light in the darkness," Susan said.
"Unfortunately, Covid restrictions will not allow us to gather and grieve together, making things even more difficult for us. Our grief will outlast the pandemic and we will be needing the help and support of our family, friends and various communities as we travel down this long and difficult road."
