School rallies for injured playground aide

Students, teachers and staff teamed up Saturday for a fundraiser at Minden Elementary School to assist a beloved playground aide battling back from near-fatal injuries suffered in a head-on collision in February.

"It was wonderful. People were so generous," said Utahna Derbyshire who helped coordinate a rummage and bake sale and car wash to help Maricela Lopez and her family with medical expenses.

Derbyshire said volunteers had a week to put the event together, collecting and pricing items and making treats for the bake sale.

Saturday's 90-plus temperature boosted attendance and made ideal conditions for a car wash.

Volunteers were still tallying donations for the family.

Derbyshire said tears come to her eyes when she thinks of Lopez and how much she is missed at school.

"Some people you see every day and they don't even say hello. Maricela greets every person with a smile. She's always the first to volunteer for anything," Derbyshire said.

Lopez was critically injured Feb. 13 in a head-on collision on Highway 395 near Courtland Lane south of Gardnerville.

The 38-year-old mother of two was hospitalized for two months at Renown Regional Medical Center, and has spent the last month at a rehabilitation center in Reno.

"I visited her on Sunday and I am starting to see the sparkle back in her eyes," Derbyshire said. "She says she's coming home in two weeks."

Family friend Toni Braga said Lopez's hospital bill alone is $285,000, and the family has no health insurance.

Lopez was injured when a sport utility vehicle driven by Jeannie Hawkins, 39, of Bishop, Calif., reportedly crossed the center lane and collided with her vehicle, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

According to reports, Hawkins swerved to avoid an animal in the road.

Hawkins' brother Thomas Riley Overlay, 50, of Spring Hill, Fla., was killed in the accident along with four dogs in her vehicle.

The accident occurred as Lopez was en route to her Topaz Ranch Estates home after work at the school.

Her two sons were on the school bus.

Lopez suffered injuries to her face, arms, hip and foot.

The accident is still under investigation and no charges have been filed against Hawkins.

Lopez's husband Carlos and sons Carlos, 10 and Juan, 9, attended the rummage sale Saturday with the boys' grandmother who is helping care for the family.

"We appreciate everything everyone is doing for us," he said.

Every day since the accident, Carlos Lopez has made the 140-mile roundtrip from their home in Topaz Ranch Estates to Reno to see his wife.

The family hopes Lopez will qualify for state disability because doctors have said she won't be able to return to work for two years.

"We just miss her so much," Derbyshire said. "She's one of those people who makes a difference. Whenever she had a free moment at school, she would come into our classroom and say hello. She just knew when you needed a hug."