Lauren Smolic could return home this week...

Last week’s tragic auto accident in Lumberton, North Carolina in the early morning hours of Monday, February 25, continues to have its emotional effects on our close knit Tri-Town Communities. It has now been over a week since 15 year old Notre Dame Academy student was killed as a group of five students were on the way back home from a scuba diving adventure in Key West, Florida. Silver Lake students Devin Rebello and John Guidoboni were uninjured in the rollover while Ryan Pittsley from Plympton suffered an injured collarbone.

Seriously injured with head trauma and several fractured vertebra was Silver Lake Junior Lauren Smolic who was transported to Duke Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina an hour and a half away from Lumberton. Trip chaperon Mark Guidoboni, who had been trapped for a time in the overturned SUV suffered leg injuries that were operated on later that morning. As of press time on Sunday night, it was expected that funeral services for Laura would occur this Friday (March 7) with burial on Saturday morning, but nothing firm has been announced

Most members of the families were flown back to Logan on the evening of February 27. Sources say Mark Guidoboni was admitted to a Boston Hospital for additional treatment. The three Silver Lake students are expected to be back at school this week.

The news from North Carolina is, thankfully good. Lauren Smolic was first admitted to Duke Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit. Lauren’s father Joe told the Observer that he and his wife Loretta were anticipating a full recovery over time. He was remaining hopeful that Lauren would be released from Duke and be home in Kingston as early as the beginning of this week (March 3). On Saturday, a representative of the East Chapel Hill High School Speech & Debate Team visited Lauren in Durham bearing a vase full of flowers, thoughts and wishes for all involved in the accident, and a card signed by the members of the ECHHS Team. The young man, Ted Lee, learned of Lauren and the accident from a Newton South High School speech and debate student.

After the accident was reported, Speech and Debate Teams across the Commonwealth were contacted with a prayer request for everyone involved in the accident. Devin Rebello is Silver Lake Speech & Debate President while Lauren is Vice-President. The two have been competing in the League for three years together. They both competed at Nationals in Houston last year and Lauren has qualified again and remains hopeful to compete in late May in Wisconsin.

Loretta Smolic said she could "feel the prayers" that had been offered up by everyone from all walks of life. Earlier last week a family member arrived at Duke with large poster cards with messages from classmates, the work of teacher Kelly DePasqua, representing music and drama, activities in which Lauren is heavily involved.