A devastating windstorm in Santa Rosa, California, changed 22-year-old Jasmine Mayer’s life forever after a falling tree branch left her partially paralysed. Jasmine had been peacefully knitting with a friend on May 17, 2026, when strong winds suddenly brought down a nearby tree branch that struck her without warning. She suffered catastrophic injuries and was rushed to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where doctors discovered severe spinal cord damage, fractured vertebrae, broken ribs, bruising, internal bleeding, and a dangerous blood clot. According to a GoFundMe organized by her loved ones, Jasmine’s lower body is currently paralysed, although some sensation has started returning to her legs and feet. Doctors are reportedly fusing several discs in her spine, and because her spinal cord was not completely severed, her family remains hopeful that physical therapy and time may help her regain further movement. Her father, Andy Mayer, described the incident as “an unimaginable accident” with nobody to blame, emphasizing that Jasmine has remained remarkably positive despite her immense pain and uncertainty.

As Jasmine begins a long and difficult recovery journey, her family is working to raise funds for the enormous medical and accessibility costs that now lie ahead. The GoFundMe campaign has already collected more than $44,000 toward its $65,000 goal and will help cover emergency healthcare expenses, mobility aids, transportation, adaptive equipment, housing modifications, and the possible purchase of a larger accessible vehicle. Andy described his daughter as incredibly strong and kind, saying her positive spirit has not changed even after such a life-altering tragedy. The same powerful windstorm that injured Jasmine also caused another deadly accident nearby, killing a 61-year-old man when another tree branch fell. Emergency services across the Santa Rosa area responded to multiple weather-related incidents that night as severe winds caused widespread damage and danger throughout the region.