Balloons soar for Laura's birthday

TIN Can Bay Road crash survivor Jodie Santowski celebrated the 19th birthday of her lost friend Laura Milner yesterday by releasing 19 purple balloons.

TIN Can Bay Road crash survivor Jodie Santowski celebrated the 19th birthday of her lost friend Laura Milner yesterday by releasing 19 purple balloons in Memorial Park.

Jodie was the only survivor in a Daewoo Lanos that was involved in a horror three vehicle accident on the Tin Can Bay Road last Wednesday.

The Lanos was run over by a fully laden timber truck and Jodie lost best friends Laura Milner and Samantha Yates in the tragedy.

Yesterday was Laura Milner's 19th birthday and Jodie wanted to remember her best friend by releasing the balloons with friends and family.

The group gathered in the middle of Memorial Park and sung a tearful happy birthday to Laura before releasing the balloons.

In an outpouring of emotion the group than held each other and shared the grief of losing a good friend.

Jodie's mother Nancy Santowski spoke to The Gympie Times on her daughter's behalf.

She said that Laura was a beautiful person and her daughter's best friend.

“They were joined at the hip,” Nancy said.

She said Laura and Jodie had planned a big day for Laura's birthday and Jodie had still wanted to celebrate the day.

“It is a bitter sweet thing for us,” Nancy said.

“People say Jodie is lucky and she knows she is ...

“But she doesn't feel lucky, because she has lost her two best friends.”

Jodie was only released from Royal Brisbane hospital on Friday.

She has 25 stitches in her head, severe bruising and nearly lost her little finger.

Nancy said that her daughter was in pretty good shape physically, but mentally the scars would take a lot longer to heal.

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Originally published as Balloons soar for Laura's birthday