By Moses Leos III

Kyle resident Stephanie Vasquez is no stranger when it comes to beating the odds. 

Married in 2009 to her husband Steve, Vasquez, who moved to Kyle only six months ago, was told there was a “one in a million chance” for them to have children due to her various medical conditions. After three years of trying, which included in vitro fertilization, Stephanie and Steve became pregnant with their first child. 

But life took a twist Thursday when Vasquez and her husband were involved in a major crash along the Interstate 35 access road at Burleson Road. The accident claimed Steve’s life, while leaving Stephanie seriously injured. 

Through the creation of a gofundme page, Bridget Phelps, Stephanie’s sister, and the Vasquez family hope to raise funds to assist Stephanie and her baby’s recovery, along with giving closure for their loss. 

“She’s going to need a lot of help and rehabilitation,” Phelps said. “We need to get that started.” 

The Vasquez’s story began when she first met her husband in 2008. At the time, the California natives worked as teachers. Phelps recalled Steve as a person who had a “big personality.” He also was a volleyball and soccer coach who was well liked by his students. 

“He had the biggest laugh. I can hear it now. He was funny and had a great personality,” Phelps said. She added that he was active and loved to do Ragnar races with his sister. 

Stephanie and Steve eventually got married in 2009 and had plans to have children. For more than three years the couple tried to conceive, and in 2015, were told they were going to have a baby. While both knew it would be a high risk pregnancy, Phelps said Steve was “excited about the baby.” 

“[Steve] was so happy to be able to support her 100 percent,” Phelps said. 

But around that time the two talked about starting a better life in Texas. Phelps said the two were motivated by friends who moved to Texas and “loved it.” 

The ability to stretch their dollar more, along with more affordable home prices, spurred the Vasquezes to make the move to Kyle “on a whim” and without a plan. 

“They wanted to have that dream of having all of this land and a big house and all of those things that come along with it,” Phelps said. 

Once settled in Texas, the couple began to prepare for her Mar. 11 due date. Meanwhile, Steve worked with a landscaping company to support his wife. 

Last week’s crash left Stephanie Vasquez, eight months pregnant, with a broken pelvis and a broken back. She also had emergency surgery for a ruptured diaphragm. She suffered a broken spleen and punctured lungs, along with a concussion, which led to bleeding in her brain. 

“Every single thing in her body is broken, except her limbs,” she said. 

Vasquez is currently in stable condition and was removed from ICU on Saturday. Her unborn child is “fine”, according to Phelps. While there were reports that Vasquez may have the baby earlier than expected, doctors told Phelps that early delivery wouldn’t happen. 

According to Phelps, Vasquez was taken out of ICU on Saturday. Her family has also worked in shifts to keep watch on Stephanie. 

It was soon after the accident that Phelps and her sister, Ashley, began to rally the cause to help their injured sister and her baby. They created a gofundme account that will go toward medical expenses for their sister, along with future rehabilitation needs. She said they are pushing the website on social media as much as they can. 

“We’re going to do as much as we can to raise money for them,” Phelps said. “I can’t imagine the medical bills that will come out of this.” 

The gofundme also will go toward assisting the Vasquez family with getting their son back to California for burial services. According to Phelps, the fund has already generated over $40,000 of the $100,000 goal as of Sunday. 

Phelps said her family was grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support. 

“They were the perfect couple,” Phelps said. “[Steve] loved her more than anything.” 

How to help

Visit www.gofundme.com/thevasquezs to make a donation.