Friends and family of Laiha Slayton are rallying together to come to the aid of her and her family following a tragic accident in October at Yellowstone National Park.
On Saturday, Nov. 13, a bowling event in Slayton’s name will be held at Penn Lanes, located at 451 Pennsylvania Ave in Delaware. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will include bowling, a raffle, and a silent auction. Each lane will cost $50 and can hold five bowlers per lane. Two hours of bowling, a 12-inch pizza, and a pitcher of pop are included in the cost of each lane.
Those not interested in bowling are still welcome to stop by and bid on the silent auction. Proceeds from the event will be given to the family to help with the extensive medical bills being accrued, along with the costs associated with the parents’ ongoing stay with Slayton in Idaho.
Slayton, a 2019 graduate of Delaware Hayes High School, suffered second and third-degree burns on 90% of her body while attempting to save her dog after it ran into a hot spring at Yellowstone.
According to multiple reports, after stopping near Maiden’s Grave Spring in the park, one of Slayton’s dogs got loose and ran into the hot spring. After going in to rescue the dog, Slayton had to be pulled out of the spring by her father, who then drove Slayton to West Yellowstone, Montana, to be care flighted to the burn center at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.
Slayton remains in a medically-induced coma while doctors continue to remove dead skin and use cadaver skin grafts to help new skin grow. On Monday, she underwent what has already been her ninth surgery since the accident.
Dawn Cooke, whose daughter grew up playing sports with Slayton and is a friend to the family, is one of the organizers of the bowling event.
“She is just that girl who’s never known a stranger, never makes anyone feel uncomfortable. She’s very welcoming, has a very bubbly personality,” Cooke said of Slayton.
Cooke also had high praises for Slayton’s parents, Woody and LaDonna, neither of whom have been able to work since the accident.
“In getting to know her parents, they are the type who would give the shirt off their backs to anybody in need. I just really felt compelled (to do something), knowing how they are and how they’ve raised both of their daughters,” Cooke said. “They would never ask for help in this situation, so I felt compelled that it was time to give back to them. I just feel that Laiha is a reflection of her parents and the way she was raised.”
If interested in donating to the silent auction, contact Cooke at 740-272-2127 or by email at [email protected]. A GoFundMe page has also been established by Slayton’s sister, Kami, and can be accessed by visiting www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-my-family-and-laiha-recover. The account has currently raised more than $75,000.
