Lauren Scruggs Tragedy: Friends Support Injured Model at Charity Event
Friends came out to support model Lauren Scruggs at fundraiser.
Dec. 28, 2011— -- Friends and community members came out for a fundraiser to assist model and fashion editor Lauren Scruggs with her medical bills after a horrible accident sliced off her hand and left her face disfigured.
The event, which took place at Sambucco 360 in Plano, Texas, featured a silent auction where local businesses donated gifts including a pearl necklace and earrings, while a local restaurant donated a cocktail party for 12. The crowd that gathered Tuesday night was in attendance to honor Scruggs and give back to a family that has given so much to them.
"Tonight is about celebrating -- it is about celebrating that Lauren Scruggs is going to come back ten times stronger than she was before this accident," LeeAnne Locken, the night's emcee, told the crowd gathered on Tuesday.
Scruggs was badly injured on December 3 when she walked into a moving plane propeller and it sliced through her face, shoulder and left hand. She had just gotten off of the plane where she was viewing Christmas lights from above with a friend.
The communications graduate, who worked on the set of the hit TV series "Gossip Girl," has been in severe pain since the accident and on December 15 doctors performed surgery to remove her left eye. Through it all Scruggs and her family have remained positive, as she makes strides in her recovery -- walking, biking, even picking out her clothes and dressing herself.
"I'm really here for them -- it's a difficult time for them – Lauren's got a long road ahead in recovery -- they're just a genuine family," attendee Eric Krisher said Tuesday night.
"By the grace of God, Lauren is doing amazingly well. It is truly a miracle to think of how far she has come in such a short amount of time," Janee Harrell, Lauren's friend told ABC News. "Her mind and her outlook and her spirit is amazing… her beauty is truly from within."
In a blog post on December 26th, Lauren's mother, Cheryl Scruggs, described the deeply religious family's Christmas, saying that Lauren and her twin sister "wore their matching PJ's ... just for Christmas Eve."
She also wrote of the intense intuitive bond between the girls: "Britt's left eye has been twitching for the last four to five days every 30 seconds or so. She knows it's because of their deep connection she and Lo have," she wrote.
Recently Lauren's Twitter account has been active again. Although ABC News cannot confirm who is tweeting, there have been thank you messages to Lauren's many well wishers, fashion finds, and even plans made for visits with friends.
"I'll tell you when I saw Lauren, she had out that iPhone and I wouldn't put it past her that she's the one tweeting ," Harrell said. "Lauren is an online fashion blogger and fashion editor, and so that's her business, I think you're going to see more and more of Lauren coming back."
Lauren Scruggs is working hard on occupational therapy now, her family reports, and her pain is getting better every day. Her family continues to pray that it will continue to get better, and they say Lauren is a natural girl, looking for natural alternatives to the pain medication she is on now. She is reportedly now craving foods like Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, as opposed to junk food.
Tuesday night's fundraiser reportedly raised over $10,000 for Scruggs.
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