A day that began with two Tufts alums celebrating their engagement ended with one fighting for her life. While out for her evening run on Feb. 20, former two-time captain of the women's soccer team Whitney Hardy (LA '10) was involved in a car accident, which left her with a broken leg and serious brain trauma.
Although Hardy floated in and out of a medically induced coma in the initial aftermath of the incident, she has recently regained consciousness. She can now squeeze her hands, as well as make minor head nods, mouth and leg movements.
"It's something no family wants to go through," Hardy's former teammate Rachel Aronchick (E '13) said. "But everybody is so hopeful."
Although the short- and long-term effects of her injury are unknown, flashes of Hardy's personality surfaced on March 7 when she tried to sit up, getting frustrated when her family wouldn't let her get too far.
"That's our Whit," Aronchick said.
Hardy's fianc?© Dan Stebbins (LA'10), a former Tufts football captain, and their close friends have started the #FightHardy fundraising movement to ensure that the families involved could focus solely on Hardy and her health, without worrying about finances. To date, #FightHardy has raised almost $64,000.
As soon as the women's soccer program and Delta Upsilon (DU) fraternity were contacted to join the fundraising effort the response spoke for itself.
"Instantly I reached out to the girls on my team and heard from girls I hadn't talked to in years," Hardy's former teammate Phoebe Hanley (LA '13) said. "There were girls that had never even played with Whitney, reaching out to see what was going on."
To show their support for Hardy, the current women's soccer team organized a schedule to deliver dinner to Hardy and Stebbins' families every day.
"Anyone who knew Truckee loved Truckee," the former women's soccer team's assistant coach Brienne Smith said, referring to Hardy's nickname. "The amount of love and support is overwhelming but not surprising."
Aronchick and two of her teammates have also delivered dinner to the hospital, where Hardy remains. They ended up spending the hour to hear stories about Hardy's progress.
Hardy's family has also started up a Caringbridge page so that others could keep track of her recovery.
"By keeping people updated on her progress they're helping people feel engaged in the process," Hanley said. "People have donated more than once just because people read that Whitney had a good day and felt like giving out again."
Over the March 1 weekend, DU set up #FightHardy donation tables in Dewick and Carmichael dining halls, while the women's soccer team set up a table at the women's basketball team's NESCAC tournament game.
Hardy was an impact player, both on and off the field. Despite not playing many minutes as a freshman, she emerged as a leader in her sophomore year and was voted captain for her junior and senior years, a rare accomplishment. But it is a testament to her ability to inspire confidence and respect among her teammates, Smith said.
"When I go out and meet a kid when I'm recruiting, I'm always looking for a Truckee," said Smith, who is now the head coach at Moravian College.
Currently, a #FightHardy poster is displayed on the office door of the women's soccer head coach Martha Whiting.
"There's a pretty unbelievable team connection that Tufts has created between all of us," Hanley said. "Every morning there are two things that pop up next to my Gmail - Whitney's Caringbridge page and her Giveforward page."
Building a network of support was one of the long-term goals of the #FightHardy movement.
"It's a long road to recovery, and the goal of #FightHardy is getting people to continue to be a support system," Joyce said. "Certainly one of my goals is just to have lots of pictures of events and instances where there [are] just a huge number of people wearing [#FightHardy shirts]."
If the high number of photos posted to the #FightHardy Facebook page on Hardy's 26th birthday is any indication, that goal has already become a reality.
The first "Friends of #FightHardy" event is scheduled for March 20 at Rathbones Bar in New York, where donations will be collected at the door and the fundraising team will be selling wristbands and shirts. Several Tufts alumni will also be guest bartenders and will be donating their tips.
More updates are available on the #FightHardy Facebook page, Giveforward page, and Caringbridge page.
