“One of the strongest people I know”: Central Florida Crusaders football player seriously injured after crash
ORLANDO, Florida. – A professional soccer player from Central Florida was hospitalized after she was hit by a truck while riding her motorcycle.
Mona Rodriguez was on her way home from work last week when she was hit by a pickup truck near Conway and Curry Ford roads. Orlando police said she was not at fault for the accident.
Rodriguez is in the hospital with serious injuries including a broken pelvis, knee, elbow, ankle and wrist. She also had a brain hemorrhage. But her close friends said she was able to speak a few words, and doctors believe that one day she will be able to walk again.
Rodriguez is a professional futsal player for the Central Florida Crusaders.
“It’s really hard. It sucks. It’s hard to see someone so strong in such a vulnerable position. But she is one of the strongest people I know and I know she will get out of this,” her best friend said. Miranda Johnson said.
Rodriguez moved to the US from Colombia to pursue her dream of becoming a professional soccer player. When she’s not on the field, she works at High Tide Harry’s in Orlando. Her colleagues and teammates visited her in the hospital in rotation, since her entire family is in Colombia.
“We all worked in shifts to make sure she knew she wasn’t alone. Who knows if she will remember any of this, but this is not the main thing, ”said Johnson. “We just want to make sure there are people around her when she wakes up.”
Her friends said that Rodriguez is such a positive person and her daily mantra is “have a good day for a good day”. They are confident that she will be able to get through it.
“If there was anyone who was built to overcome adversity and be able to respond to it and become better and stronger than ever before, it’s Mona,” said Brennan Heretic, co-owner of High Tide Harry’s. “Circumstances could not be worse and happen to a better person, but knowing Mona, she will find a way to make it work. Will we get her back on the pitch playing football or will it improve her coaching career, whatever comes next. chapter in her life, High Tide Harry will be here for her.”
GoFundMe was created to help with medical expenses.
