WALNUT, Iowa — It’s been nearly two months since 15-year-old Grace Pauley, from Shelby, crashed her car near Avoca. KETV reports that on Sunday, people from surrounding communities offered much-needed support to her family during a benefit dinner and silent auction at the Walnut Community Center.

Inside of the facility, the smell of pancakes filled the air and silent auction items spanned the length of the gym. The benefit was put on by Steele McLaren, of Atlantic, who, at the age of 17, suffered a traumatic head injury three-years ago when he fell off of a moving pickup truck. McLaren spent almost three weeks in a coma, followed by months in rehab. McLaren said the community rallied around him and his family when they needed it most, and hosted a number of fundraisers to help them out.  He says he simply wanted to “pay it forward.”

The support is something her family needs right now. Pauley’s brother says she was on her way home from a school event on September 18th.That’s when she rolled her car near Avoca.

She was flown to Nebraska Medicine where she stayed for 30 days. Now she’s doing well, and undergoing physical therapy at Madonna Rehabilitation in Omaha. A Facebook page dedicated to following her recovery, and a GoFundMe account, have been set up for Grace Pauley.