Middletown Theater Student Seriously Injured In Crash, Community Rallies

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The community is rallying around a Middletown theater student who was seriously injured in a crash earlier this month.

Ivan Lazaro, 19, is a theater student at the ARTFARM in Middletown, according to an email from the organization.

Lazaro has been in the Intensive Care Unit since the car accident on Nov. 2 and has a “long recovery ahead,” according to the email.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help assist the family with medical expenses.

The medical expenses are expected to be “substantial after his long stay and multiple surgeries,” according to the GoFundMe campaign, which was created by Marcella Trowbridge earlier this week.

“Ivan's father has passed, and Ivan, a college theater student, is co-breadwinner with his mom (who is from Tanzania) for his family,” according to a post on the GoFundMe page. “Any additional funds after the medical bills are paid will go towards his lost wages to support him, his mother and 10 year old sister.”

Lazaro’s mother has been traveling back and forth to the hospital while trying to work and take care of his sister, according to the post.

“Ivan is a very sweet soul,” the post reads. “He is warm, compassionate -and is a talented performer. He was sitting at a stop sign when the unimaginable happened. He needs our help.”

Nearly $8,800 has been raised within the first three days of the campaign. (Update: More than $12,700 has been raised as of Friday night).

For more information, or to make a donation, visit the GoFundMe page here.

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