O’Brien and O’Connor, who both graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in 2009, were on vacation together when a driver in Belmopan, Belize, hit their vehicle head-on. Both women sustained severe injuries and due to limitations in care, were transported from a local hospital to a larger medical center in Belize City for emergency surgeries. A passenger in the other vehicle was killed.

Family friends say O’Brien, now of West Des Moines, suffered a perforation of the small intestine, and O’Connor sustained contusions to her liver, lacerations to her pancreas and fractures to two vertebrae and coccyx.

On Sunday, O’Brien was medically evacuated to a hospital in Florida, where physicians found she also suffered from a partially collapsed lung and multiple broken ribs.

On Tuesday, O’Connor, now of Kansas City, Missouri, was successfully medically evacuated to a hospital in Texas where she will now receive specialized care.

Family friends have created a GoFundMe for O’Brien and O’Connor given the significant medical bills the two women now face, especially with the need for both to have been evacuated internationally. O’Connor’s specialized medical flight required family members to make an upfront payment of nearly $80,000, of which the GoFundMe campaign was able to help to partially cover.

“However, we still have a long road ahead, with ongoing medical expenses for both Baylee and Kelsey,” said Alexandra Rohn, organizer of the fundraiser campaign. “Any further assistance would be deeply appreciated as we continue to navigate their recovery.”