GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — 18-year-old Natalee Noel was riding in an ATV on Sunday when she crashed. She was riding at Silver Lake Sand Dunes.
Her grandma, Jan Noel, regards Natalee as one of the best drivers in the family.
Jan thinks shifting sand caused the crash.
“I think the areas she went over were fine. But she went a little bit further over to the left, probably because there was too many people where she wanted to go. And so she hadn’t been there. So it was a way steeper drop-off and it flipped right over and landed on her,” Jan Noel said.
Natalee remains in the hospital in downtown Grand Rapids. She’s currently under the heaviest level of sedation possible while she heals, Jan said.
“Yesterday [Monday] was very touch and go. She’s got a brain bleed with a lot of swelling on the brain. So those are the huge concerns,” Noel said.
Natalie also has a broken jaw and broken ribs.
By Tuesday, there came a ray of hope.
“By this morning, it’s looking really good,” Noel said.
Jan thanked the entire riding community for their prayers, which they say are making all the difference right now.
“Keep praying, keep praying,” Noel said.
You can help the Noel family during this time at this GoFundMe page.
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