Friends and family of the young woman who died after being hit by a Canada Post semi-truck are raising money to send her body back to India.
EstherSita Anthonyraj Achari, 27, was knocked down last Wednesday afternoon while crossing at the intersection of Garden City Road and Sea Island Way.
However, nursing student Achari – known to her friends as “Esther” – succumbed to her injuries last Thursday evening.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by her cousin, Shathesh Kuhendrarajah, Achari came to Canada in “hopes of fulfilling her family's dreams.”
“She was a nurse back home at Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai, India. She had been going to school for over a year to get her nursing license in Canada,” wrote Kuhendrarajah.
“She just recently got her care aid license and was working at Minoru Residency, part of the Richmond long-term care facility.
“She was in her final stages of exams to obtain her Canadian RN license. Her parents had sold their family home to send Esther to Canada.”
After finally being employed fulltime, Achari apparently insisted on buying her parents an apartment in India and started taking care of their needs.
“This loss has affected her parents beyond what words can describe,” added Kuhendrarajah.
“Her college friends adored and cared for her as if Esther was their own sister. She was most cautious one out of the bunch.
“They are shocked that this would happen to her. She is the type to take a long way around, just to follow the rules.”
In other online tributes, Achari’s friends and colleagues described her as an “amazing lady” and a “the most generous person I’ve met.”
Kuhendrarajah said that Achari’s college, the Tamil Association and family members are raising money to lift the burden of the funeral expenses on the parents in India.
“We are trying hard to send her remains by flight to India in a timely manner so that her parents can rest her in peace.”
Anyone wanting to donate to the cause, can go online to GoFundMe.com/FuneralFundForEstherSita.
By Tuesday morning, almost $19,000 of the $8,000 goal has been raised.
Richmond RCMP have said that neither speed nor alcohol were being considered as part of the investigation into the fatal collision around 2 p.m. on Dec. 27.
The investigation is ongoing and police are asking anyone with information to contact them on 604-278-1212 or by email at [email protected].
