(AJC.com) – Caroline Wirl, 17, hasn’t left the hospital since she was injured skateboarding on July 4, but her name is traveling around the country.
Firefighters in Savannah, Doraville, Smyrna and Rockdale County; in Pittsburgh, Tallahassee, New York and Sacramento, Calif.; even in Tavira, Portugal, are putting Caroline’s name on their duty rosters and hoisting signs that read “Caroline Rides With Us.”
All are praying for the recovery of a firefighter’s daughter with a winning spirit and a remarkable group of friends.
The Mountain View High School student suffered a traumatic brain injury when she fell early this month. She wasn’t wearing a helmet, though her father, Gwinnett firefighter Gary Wirl, always insisted that she should.
In the meantime, firefighters around the country, part of what they call The Brotherhood, began showing their solidarity. They posted photos of Caroline’s name on duty rosters and included Gary Wirl’s “fire number,” 568, which is like a badge number for firefighters.
Gary created a Praying for Caroline Facebook page that has 3,400 followers, where he keeps his community updated on Caroline’s progress.
A fellow firefighter set up a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses. Caroline’s mother Jenny Blair Wirl wrote that the fund has allowed her to the opportunity to stay with her daughter day and night.
