Fundraiser launched for Thurston woman seriously injured when horse took off running

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been announced for a Thurston County woman seriously injured in a horse arena last week.

Cristi Vanderhoof was about to mount her horse on Wednesday, April 17, when something spooked the horse and it took off running, the fundraising post reads.

The woman was dragged by the horse and hit her head against an arena wall, according to the post.

Vanderhoof was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where she was treated for “bruising, swelling and bleeding in her brain.”

“Nearly a week later she’s still sedated as doctors treat her other injuries, which include fractures to her skull, ribs, and face,” the post reads.

“The nurses have warned us that this journey is a marathon not a sprint and will be the worst roller coaster of ups and downs imaginable,” Cristi’s sister, Trisha Brock, wrote on GoFundMe . “If you know Cristi, then you love her — that’s just how it is. She is the queen of making everyone around her feel special and loved.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, 112 donors had given more than $18,000 toward a $50,000 goal.

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