By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE last surviving female victim of the deadly Shirley Street crash has reached an $8,000 fundraising goal for surgery as she continues to recover from serious injuries that have kept her in hospital.

Bianca Mathurin, 18, was one of eight people in the Mazda sedan that crashed into a tree at the intersection of Shirley Street and Church Street after the 19-year-old driver reportedly lost control.

The crash killed five people: Keno Gordon Jr, 19; Diamond Stubbs, 17; Betrica Brown, 18; Evalena Johnson, 19; and Stania Webb, 19. Ms Mathurin and Shawn Thurston, 21, are the only survivors and remain in hospital recovering from their injuries.

An online appeal for blood donations said Ms Mathurin suffered serious leg and pelvic injuries and needed blood donations before undergoing preliminary surgery. It said that after graduating from school, she had moved from the Ranfurly Home for Children into one of its transitional homes to begin her independent adult life.

The fundraiser to support Ms Mathurin’s surgery reached its $8,000 target, drawing support as the country continues to follow the aftermath of the crash.

However, one relative said the family was hurt by social media posts claiming Ms Mathurin had “absolutely no family to support or help her”, saying the posts did not reflect the relatives who cared for and supported her for much of her life.

Shavonne Stubbs, who said she was previously married to Ms Mathurin’s uncle, said she and her former husband began caring for Ms Mathurin when she was three months old because her birth mother needed help raising her children.

Ms Stubbs said Ms Mathurin’s father, who was of Haitian descent, was eventually deported to Haiti.

She said she and her then-husband raised Ms Mathurin in Abaco for several years before Ms Stubbs later moved with her to Grand Bahama after the couple separated. She said Ms Mathurin continued spending summers in Abaco.

Ms Stubbs said she cared for Ms Mathurin until she was 15, when an incident in Abaco led to the involvement of Social Services and Ms Mathurin was later placed at the Ranfurly Home.

“She did not grow up in the home. This year was going to make three years that she been there, she’s 18-year-old now,” she said.

Ms Stubbs said Ms Mathurin’s birth mother lives in Abaco.

She said she never legally adopted Ms Mathurin because the process became too difficult. She said she could not obtain the necessary documents because Ms Mathurin’s father was in Haiti and her mother was unable to provide the required paperwork.

“Her mommy was not capable, because her first child get take from her,” she said.

Ms Stubbs said Ms Mathurin’s mother has had several children removed from her care because of financial difficulties or other issues.

She said she was shocked and hurt by posts suggesting Ms Mathurin had no family, saying Ms Mathurin called her “Mummy” while growing up and only recently began calling her “aunty”.

Ms Stubbs shared photographs with The Tribune showing her and Ms Mathurin together throughout her childhood. She also shared photos from Ms Mathurin’s graduation last month and screenshots of video calls between them while Ms Mathurin has been recovering in hospital.

Ms Stubbs said Ms Mathurin also has an uncle in New Providence who regularly visited her at the Ranfurly Home and helped her as much as he could.