Community raises thousands for teen’s family after fatal accident

News Courier (Athens, AL)

Oct. 29--Southern hospitality and community spirit were clear once again in Limestone County as donors came together to raise thousands toward the funeral expenses of a 17-year-old died Saturday.

Isaac Batrum was traveling on East Limestone Road with his girlfriend when he lost control of the 2002 Nissan Maxima he was driving and hit a concrete culvert, according to Alabama State Troopers. Batrum was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene, troopers said.

"There was a car behind them and they said he wasn't speeding," Batrum's aunt, April Thompson, told The News Courier Monday. "He was just driving, perfectly fine, and then it just looked like the car went out of control."

Thompson said Batrum's girlfriend, 16-year-old Montana Worley, backed up the account. Worley was taken by MedFlight to Huntsville Hospital after the wreck, where she remained Monday in the intensive care unit.

"When she was able to talk to her mom, she said it was like something happened to the car," Thompson said. "They were fine, then it just started going crazy."

Batrum was a senior and a football player at Elkmont High School. He was considering trade school after graduation and had recently made the baseball team, Thompson said.

"He loved baseball," she said. "Ever since he was a little boy, he wanted to be a pro baseball player."

Thompson said Batrum had lived with her and her parents -- Batrum's grandparents -- "ever since he was brought home from the hospital." She said his father took care of him the best he could, and Batrum loved spending time with his cousins.

Unfortunately, Batrum's family did not have insurance for him, and they have had to rely on community support to cover his funeral expenses. Through GoFundMe and social media posts, the community came through for the family.

On Sunday, just one day after the accident, more than $8,000 had been raised toward the original goal of $9,150. Less than two days after, a new goal had been set of $9,500 to reflect the updated cost of the funeral.

As of 7:02 p.m. today, donations totaled $10,015.

"We're so thankful for everyone who has contributed and helped out," Thompson said.

She said the cost of services and a burial plot totaled $9,500, but any extra money raised would go toward providing a headstone for Batrum.

"He was an awesome kid," she said. "... I just don't even know what to say. He was just a precious person. We want everyone to know how much he was loved and how much he's going to be missed."

Limestone County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tom Sisk said additional grief counselors would be available at Elkmont this week for students affected by Batrum's death.

Visitation for Batrum is 6 to 9 tonight at Ardmore Chapel Funeral Home. The funeral will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with burial to follow at Roselawn Cemetery in Athens.

To donate to the family, visit https://www.gofundme.com/funeral-expenses-isaac-batrum.

Prayers for Montana

Missy Abernathy, Batrum's cousin, and Thompson said Worley was severely injured in the accident and continues to recover in the intensive care unit at Huntsville Hospital.

"She has a lot of injuries," Thompson said, listing multiple broken bones, organ damage and even a retina detachment. "She had emergency surgery on Saturday to repair the tear in her aorta, and she had surgery yesterday on her spleen, femur and pelvis."

Thompson wasn't sure how long the pair had been dating, just that they were high school sweethearts who were crazy about each other. She said they have not visited Worley yet but remain in contact with her mom.

"(Worley) wanted a piece of Isaac's clothing because she's so upset, so we've sent a shirt and a sweatshirt over to her," Thompson said.

Worley was previously featured in The News Courier for her battle with leukemia. Thompson said she has faced it twice so far but is currently in remission from the disease.

"Please keep her and all of us who loved Isaac in your prayers as these next couple days will be harder than anything imaginable," Worley's mom, Tina Worley Parkerson, said in a Facebook post. "... There's no instruction booklet that comes with kids on how to handle something this horrible!"

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