A guardian of the 18-month-old girl that survived a fatal crash last week that claimed the life of her parents has started an online donation fund to take care of the toddler’s needs.
According to the fund page on GoFundMe.com, Brianna-Cate Johnson is recovering from a broken leg after the crash in rural Cheyenne County last Friday that killed Brian and Catherine Johnson.
Fund creator David West says he and his wife, who is Catherine Johnson’s cousin, will be taking care of Brianna-Cate along with her grandma, but they need assistance to transition into the role.
West says the girl’s grandma, by Nebraska law, has custody of Brianna-Cate, but has asked the couple to take care of her. He says when the law allows it, a joint custody arrangement would be entered in order to serve Brianna-Cate’s needs in a timely fashion.
West says the money from the fund is going to my account at this time, and will be spent strictly on Brianna-Cate’s care, food, and clothing, with any money left over transferred into a trust fund for her education needs.
As of Wednesday morning, the fund created just a day earlier had already received more than $5,000 in donations and pledges.
West tells KNEB News that Brianna-Cate has now been released from the Colorado hospital in which she was recovering. However, he did say Colorado authorities are claiming the toddler is a ward of that state, while Nebraska has said she needs to be returned to the official guardianship of her grandma.
