THE sister of a woman who is in hospital and "lost her livelihood" in a crash involving a combine harvester has set up a fundraiser to help her "get back on her feet."
Annabelle Tripp, 31, has been hospitalised since Friday, July 19, after a serious crash involving her work van and a combine harvester on the B3349 between Pickaxe Land and The Avenue.
Originally from Basingstoke but now living in Selborne, Annabelle is described by sister Emma Brown, 34, as "the most caring, sensitive and selfless person."
A small business owner, Annabelle set up The Travelling Retreat - a mobile beauty, health and wellbeing salon - which she converted from scratch using a Mercedes Sprinter in early 2023 with the help of her partner Joe.
READ MORE: Woman seriously injured in crash between combine harvester and van
The mobile salon was her full-time job, and Emma explained how her sister was driving the van she used for work at the time of the crash.
She said: "The van has been completely written off and Annabelle has lost her livelihood as well as experiencing the trauma of the accident.
"We are really hopeful Annabelle's insurance will pay out towards the new van, but we know none of her stock and beauty equipment will be covered."
In response, Emma set up a fundraiser to help her sister "until she is back on her feet."
She said: "We aren't the sort of family who like being in the limelight, so this is really unusual for us to reach out to the media. I also really don't want to make this about me, but about Annabelle and her little business.
"As this is Annabelle's sole form of income, she currently has no way of paying her monthly bills. So the donations have massively taken a weight off her mind."
The fundraiser can be found on GoFundMe by clicking here: www.gofundme.com/f/help-rebuild-the-travelling-retreat?attribution_id=sl:cc05d6c5-efdd-4474-9d3e-ae3632f03848&utm_campaign=man_ss_icons&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link
So far, Emma has raised more than £2,500 for her sister, and is "overwhelmed" by the generosity of those who have donated.
She said: "Honestly, we are overwhelmed by the amount of support and generosity we have received so far.
"When I set up the GoFundMe page, I wasn't going to put the target amount very high. My husband encouraged me to aim higher and we are already over 50 per cent of the way to the target, which is incredible.
"It is a fraction of the cost of buying a new van and converting it, but it is a start."
Emma, who now lives in Norfolk with her husband but spends a lot of time in South Warnborough visiting her parents, said Annabelle was on her way to a client near Odiham when the accident happened.
She said: "She is incredibly hard-working and never puts herself first.
"She is truly beautiful, inside and out. She is incredibly special to all of her friends and family.
"The messages and outpouring of love and support we have received are testament to what a lovely person she is.
"She really is a sweetie and I am devastated this has happened to her.
"Nothing prepares you for the horror and dread when you get the phone call that a loved one has been injured in an accident."
Readers can find out more about the van conversion and The Travelling Retreat on Annabelle’s Instagram page, @The_Travelling_Retreat: www.instagram.com/the_travelling_retreat?igsh=cGdtZnVqMDN5MDB5.
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