$140,000 raised for final wish of girl killed in I-90 crash

It was a horrible weekend. Shootings in Des Moines and Auburn, fires and accidents, more and more mind-numbing details of the hateful, cold-blooded killings in Norway, all of it making a nasty stew of evening news. But is was a horrible weekend with one glowing kernel of love and faith and good cheer: Rachel Beckwith.

She was just 9 years old when she was critically injured, her spinal cord severed in a pile-up on I-90 last week. Rachel's mother received a minor head injury, and her 18-month-old sibling was not injured in the crash. The side of the car in which Rachel was riding unfortunately beared the brunt of the force of the crash.

Saturday, her parents finally took her off life-support.

Too young to be taken, yes, but the way she lived and what she left behind when she died, put energy and light back into a cold, dark weekend.

For her birthday in June, she told everybody she didn’t want any presents, she wanted people to donate to Charitywater.org, a group that drills wells and brings fresh water to people in developing countries. Rachel raised $220, pretty good for a 9-year-old but $80 short of her goal. "No problem," she told her family, "next year for a tenth birthday I’ll just work harder and raise more!" She didn’t get that chance of course, but boy, is she raising more money.

Her church Pastor Ryan Meeks says Rachel seemed to naturally recognize when people needed help.

“I think that’s incredibly mature for anybody, let alone a child of 9,” Meeks said.

Her donation page was reopened when she was in the hospital. By the time KING5’s Elisa Hahn told her story on the Friday night, news Rachel’s total was up to $6,000 dollars. As I write this Monday evening it is climbing past $140,000.

The cable and broadcast networks heard about the story and ran various versions. It spread on Facebook and Twitter with some high-profile help. Actress Alyssa Milano tweeted it to her million-plus followers, Seahawk quarterback Matt Hasselbeck tweeted too, a New York Times columnist gave it a boost.

“It is something that hits us at our core” said Pastor Meeks.”There is nothing natural about losing a nine-year old girl. But there's something that we’re attracted to, when life, comes out of death.”

And now Rachel Beckwith’s quest to pay for water in far-off lands is a flood of love. People from all over the world have watched, listened, tweeted, messaged, followed, friended and best of all donated. Pastor Meeks sees a simple and obvious lesson in Rachel’s actions, and the world’s response.

“A child teaching us adults that maybe it is that simple. You do what you can.”

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

If you're interested in helping Rachel's cause, visit her website by clicking here.