>
Weeks after the shocking incident, a woman who has been hit by a roller coaster is in an artificial coma, which could leave her in pain for a lifetime.
A fundraiser set up to help Shylah Rodden has risen to more than $5,000 just hours after Daily Mail Australia revealed it was a paltry $500 until Saturday.
Sources close to Shylah’s family have told Daily Mail Australia that the $20,000 that the GoFundMe will take care of the 26-year-old, who reportedly suffered massive brain damage in the accident.
Shylah Rodden is fighting for life after being thrown 30 feet into the air when she was hit by a roller coaster at the Royal Melbourne Show last Sunday
Gruesome footage shows Shylah Rodden (pictured in black) moments from being hit by the Rebel Coaster during the Melbourne Royal show on September 24
The true extent of Shylah’s injuries remains unknown, with the fear that she may never be able to speak again.
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Royal Melbourne Hospital confirmed that Shylah’s condition was now classified as serious rather than critical.
But her prospects of ever living a normal life again are nil to impossible.
A friend who was in close contact with Shylah and her family told Daily Mail Australia that the money raised from the fundraiser would be used to help Shylah’s long road to recovery.
“People have the impression that this money is only for her family. But people should know that this money is for Shylah’s recovery,” the friend said.
“This money goes to her therapy, her rehabilitation, things they have to change in the house for showers and toilets.”
The reaction of “keyboard warriors” to Shylah’s accident has shocked her family, who remain on a night vigil weeks after the incident.
“People are saying horrible things right now and I just want to make sure the real and right reason for this fundraiser exists,” the friend said.
The fundraiser, set up by Sylvia Dess, a friend of Shylah, was set up days after the accident, but has been largely ignored until now.
“Channel 7 said they had a setback because it didn’t raise a lot of money, but it’s not a setback,” the friend said.
Every donation will help, the cost of changing Shylah’s family’s living conditions, her rehabilitation, her therapy – it’s all they need. This fundraiser isn’t just for fun.”
Shylah Rodden’s condition is now listed as serious rather than critical
The friend, who wished to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia that Shylah may need constant care for what could be the rest of her life.
“It’s to help her and her family, who may need to take care of her 24/7,” she said.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Shylah had changed her life after a difficult few years of struggling with substance abuse
“Shylah is not a drug addict, she has been in rehab for almost a year,” her friend said.
“But people are so focused on her previous car accident where she wasn’t even the driver. Her troubles were five years ago. People do change.’
The cruel commentary on Shylah’s accident has rubbed salt into the wounds of her emaciated family, who have struggled for years to help Shylah overcome her battles.
“They’re so terrible,” her friend said of the sandwiches. “It’s like people have nothing better to do.”
It’s clear that WorkSafe is now investigating what the ride’s drivers were doing when Shylah got on the trail.
Shylah Rodden (pictured) suffered horrific injuries when he was hit and dragged by a roller coaster
Shylah’s family has expressed their gratitude for every cent the fundraiser has already received.
‘They don’t care if they don’t get donations, as long as people know what it’s all about and have the right reasoning for it. Not just what other people comment and assume what they do with this money,” she said.
‘They are very grateful for the amount already raised. People are really nice in the end.’
On the day she was hit by the roller coaster, Shylah was working in a friend’s booth at the Melbourne Royal Show.
The pair had been on a hiatus when they decided to take a few rides to pass the time.
Mr Rodden (pictured) has been involved in three separate road accidents, in 2018, 2019 and 202
It is clear that Shylah dropped her phone while on the roller coaster and police believe she walked on the tracks of the high-speed ride to retrieve the device.
Shocking footage released via a tacky TikTok video showed the moment of impact.
Shylah’s father told Daily Mail Australia at the time that his daughter had suffered life-changing injuries.
‘I can’t talk to my daughter. She will be in a coma for quite some time,” he said.
“The injuries are terrible. Awful. She has brain damage. It’s the pelvis, her arms, legs, back, neck – there’s almost nothing that isn’t broken. I just don’t understand how the hell so much damage was done.
“Even the doctors have said they haven’t seen this much in ages.”
Police revealed last week that the roller coaster was traveling at 70 km/h when it was hit.
Ms Rodden was involved in three other accidents, including a serious car accident in February 2019, and another in which she overturned her car after hitting a truck in January 2021.
Ms Rodden had to learn to walk again after being involved in a horror crash in January 2021 when she overturned a car on Melbourne’s Western Ring Road after being plowed into a truck and car.
She was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car onto the road.
The young woman survived the crash but needed significant rehabilitation to get back on her feet and with the support of her supportive parents, she managed to walk again.
Her grueling road to recovery came after another serious car accident in 2019.
A spokeswoman for the Melbourne Royal Show claimed that ‘the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show remains our number one priority’.
The safety watchdog WorkSafe is in the process of determining whether that claim is true.
The roller coaster that hit her reopened just days after the incident.
Show management declined to comment on whether any new safety procedures had been adopted in the aftermath.
A spokeswoman for the Melbourne Royal Show claimed that ‘the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show remains our number one priority’ (pictured, the Royal Melbourne Show)