Hours after 10-year-old girl Aubrey Clark was taken off life support, one of her donated organs has already saved a life, a spokesman for the Ocoee girl's family confirmed.
Aubrey was hit by an SUV while riding her bicycle in January. She remained in a medically induced coma at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando for more than 2 weeks before her family decided to remove her from life support Thursday night.
"She is now the Angel watching down on all of us," a post on the Facebook page Aubrey's Angels, created to support the girl's family, said Friday morning. "We ask that the prayers keep coming in for the family in their time of need."
Aubrey's organs were donated, and family spokesman Dan Oliver confirmed Friday that one of Aubrey's kidneys was flown to Tampa, where it saved a patient's life.
The girl's father is firefighter for Osceola County. Battalion Chief Brian Caroll, who has been acting as a spokesman for the Clark family, said it was obviously a very hard time for them, but the family had not yet given him a statement to release as of noon Friday.
The 10-year-old and a friend were on their way home from school in Ocoee on Jan. 20, when witnesses said a speeding black SUV hit both children at North Clarke Road and Silver Star Road, and then drove off. Aubrey's friend only suffered minor injuries, while she suffered brain damage and went into a medically induced coma.
Witness also said the driver, Lastevie Howard, only returned to the scene after they caught up with him. Howard, 40, was arrested 10 days later and charged with leaving the scene of an accident. He has since bonded out of jail.
Ocoee police have not said if charges will be upgraded against Howard.
A fundraiser for Aubrey's family, including a silent auction, is scheduled for noon-6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Mulberry Street Bar and Grill, at 3831 Avalon Park Blvd., in Orlando.