- Erin Plumb, 20, is in a coma after falling from a truck tailgate.
- Her family and Tooele community show support by lighting homes in purple.
- A GoFundMe and local fundraisers are helping with medical costs for Erin.
TOOELE — Erin Plumb loves the Utah Grizzlies and the color purple. The 20-year-old won't be able to make it to the hockey team's remaining games in Utah — nor is she able to see the many homes decked out in her favorite color as a show of support — due to an accident last weekend that has left her hospitalized in a coma.
Heather Plumb, Erin's mother, said her daughter was severely injured after she fell from the back of a moving pickup truck Sunday evening after a trip to the canyons.
The family had just unloaded some items off a couple doors away at a neighbor's house, and on the short distance back home, Erin Plumb and her sister wanted to ride on the tailgate.
"As we were pulling out of the driveway onto the street, somehow she lost her balance and slipped off the tailgate and hit her head on the asphalt," Heather Plumb said.
Erin was rushed to a hospital in Tooele, before being airlifted to the University of Utah hospital, where she remains in the neurocritical care unit.
"(The) biggest challenge for her has been the swelling, and the pressure in her head was very difficult for them (doctors) to regulate," Heather Plumb said. "They ended up having to take both the right and the left top of her skull off."
Erin Plumb's family said one of the hardest things they are dealing with now is the uncertainty regarding her recovery, but her mother said they are preparing themselves for the long haul, whether it takes several weeks or months.
"Her brain was pretty severely damaged; they're not sure what recovery will look like," she told KSL. "They (doctors) can't tell us what that will look like at this point. We're all assuming that there was a lot of damage, but we're not sure how much of that is recoverable."
At this point, Erin Plumb has been stabilized, and her family, loved ones and community are rallying for her recovery.
In a post on the Tooele County 411 page, where Heather Plumb asked for people in the community and those who know Erin to light up their homes in purple, more than 800 people commented, sharing thoughts and prayers for her to overcome the accident.
Erin Plumb works as a cashier at Cal Ranch, and some customers and coworkers commented on the post wishing her well.
"She's so sweet I always love talking with her when I go in," one person wrote.
A family friend started a GoFundMe* in Erin Plumb's honor to help with incurred costs.
"Erin's family is doing everything they can to support her, but the financial strain is growing. Hospital bills and missed pay are adding up, making this already challenging time even harder," the fundraiser reads.
Heather Plumb said the amount of support — from people who have lit their homes up in purple, to the encouraging text messages and people who have donated — has given their family the strength to bear the tragedy.
"For everybody to come and rally around and to see how much they love Erin, how much they're supporting us — has been a literal lifesaver. I have no idea of what we would do if we didn't have this level of support," she said.
Local businesses are also stepping up to help; the Chubby's Restaurant in Tooele will host a fundraiser next Wednesday with all proceeds from the day going to Erin Plumb, owner Joe Moak confirmed with KSL on Wednesday.
A dedicated fan
Aside from her life at home and work, Erin Plumb is an avid Utah Grizzlies fan and rarely missed a game, unless she had to work, according to her mother.
"She went through the rain or snow. It didn't matter if she had to go by herself, (or) if she could find a friend. I think she introduced a lot of people to hockey because she would drag them along, whether they were super excited about it or not. They were excited to hang out with Erin," she said.
Heather Plumb said she is hopeful that Erin's passion for hockey may lead to an acknowledgement at the Grizzlies' final game this coming weekend.
The Plumb family knows that Erin is a fighter, and they are holding onto hope that she can make a full recovery from the accident.
"She's going to fight till the end. She's proven that already in the last three days," Heather Plumb said.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
