A mother was finally able to receive her humanitarian visa to fly from Colombia to the United States to be by her daughter's bedside in a Broward County hospital after she was involved in a bad crash last month.
Hellen Pachon was riding a motorized scooter during the morning of Jan. 26 when she got hit by a pickup truck near Northeast 3rd Avenue and 48th Street in Deerfield Beach.
Her mother, Paola Andrea Duran, said the 21-year-old has life-threatening injuries to her head and lungs, along with two fractured legs and three broken ribs. Doctors at Broward Health North said they need to amputate Pachon's left leg due to the injuries.
As she fought through tears, Duran said she has faith that her daughter could recuperate, but she knows that at any moment she may have to come to terms with a difficult decision to take her off life support.
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Pachon had been in the United States for nearly a year, working to provide for her two brothers and Duran, who still live in Colombia.
After waiting for a visa for days, Duran was finally able to fly to South Florida and be by her daughter's side. Her main hope is that her daughter will miraculously make a turn for the better — so she can bring her back to Colombia.
Deputies said the driver involved in the crash stayed at the scene but did not say if any charges would be filed.
