Ballet dancer Lucila Munaretto is in a coma after a rollerblading accident in the west coast city of Vancouver. Munaretto came to Canada in 2012 after she was offered a full scholarship to study here.
Pacific Dance Arts artistic director Yaming Li says he had watched the shy young dancer at a school in Brazil three years ago and offered her the scholarship. She was on her way to visit a friend yesterday, came down a hill and missed a stop sign. She struck a vehicle and suffered a devastating head injury.
Dancer comatose but moving
Although in a coma, Munaretto was seen moving a foot and a hand in response to messages of encouragement that have been recorded by dancers from around the world.
Although the dancer has insurance that will cover her immediate medical care, it does not pay for her family to travel from Brazil to be with her. Nor does it cover all of her rehabilitation costs.
The dance school has started a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign with a goal of raising $100,000. It has raised over $25,000 in the first three days.
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