OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska woman who was critically injured after a deer crashed through her car’s windshield remains on life support to allow for the donation of her organs.
Sara Steiner, 35, was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy after the Friday crash, The Omaha World-Herald reported .
Kara Cordell of Nebraska Organ Recovery declined to comment on Sara Steiner’s case specifically, but said it can take several days after an accident before a donor’s organs can be recovered. Organs are sometimes injured in an accident, but can heal while a donor remains on a ventilator, she said.
The organ donation is just one example of Steiner’s generosity, said Tammy Trahan, her mother.
Trahan said her daughter is also known for being outgoing and having a bubbly personality.
“She just had zest,” her mother said.
The accident occurred Friday morning while Steiner was on her way to work, officials said. Another vehicle initially struck the deer, which sent the animal airborne and into Steiner’s car, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The deer hit Steiner in the head and then exited through the vehicle’s rear window.
Sara Steiner had married Joseph Steiner in November. She was almost five months pregnant with a baby boy, who has died, Trahan said. She also has a five-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, according to her family.
Her mother-in-law, Julie Steiner, called her a “ray of sunshine.”
“She’s just got a wide open smile,” Julie Steiner said. “So much love to spread.”