An update on Sarah Beara

As many of you already know, our sweet Sarah was involved in a car accident on Thursday night. She and 3 of her friends were driving back from Bear Lake and were involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. All in the vehicle were wearing seatbelts. She and her friends were taken to various hospitals in Cache Valley and treated for their injuries.

Moving forward, this blog will serve an information center and will be updated as Sarah’s situation changes.

She was taken first to Logan Regional Hospital in critical condition. There she was stabilized and her injuries were quickly assessed. She had serious abdominal bleeding, no feeling or movement in her lower extremities, and an issue with her aorta which was causing significant blood flow issues to her limbs. After the appropriate scans were taken, the decision was made to take her by helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital, where she could receive the best trauma care possible. She has undergone numerous surgeries targeting the trauma in her abdominal region, and much of her intestinal tract had to be removed in order to stay the bleeding. Her most life-threatening issues are being addressed first, but she does have other trauma which is more life-changing.

Her lower back is extremely damaged and that has resulted in paralysis from the waist down, which the medical team believes will be permanent. Both legs have not been receiving the blood they need to thrive, and because of that and the paralysis, the recommendation from the medical team has been to amputate both legs either at the knee, or high thigh, depending on assessment of damage once they are able to surgically explore. She has been moved to University of Utah hospital to undergo those procedures, as that facility is more well equipped in those areas of care.

In lieu of flowers please simply keep Sarah -- and the entire Frei family -- in your thoughts and prayers. There may be an opportunity in the future to donate towards Sarah’s care and long-term recovery. For those close who feel so inclined feel free to send a teddy bear to “Sarah Beara” by way of the Frei residence in Syracuse.

We want to offer our sincere thanks for all of the love and outreach already given to us as a family. We have felt your prayers and do believe we have seen and will continue to see miracles. Sarah is the best of us, and we know she will thrive because of her inspiring strength and everlasting optimism.