Motorcyclists provide outreach to Punta Gorda biker injured in crash

Friends and family of a motorcyclist are doing all they can for her after she was hit by a car more than a month ago. Biker Michelle Davidson faces numerous surgeries and an extensive road to recovery. Before she can get there, it will be a costly healing process.

Bikers across the state gathered in Punta Gorda Sunday for a fundraiser to support Davidson during her recovery.

“I think that’s part of why am healing,” Davidson said. “All the thoughts and prayers and efforts, it’s an unbelievable community.”

Davidson said she was thrown from her motorcycle in a crash in January but said she is lucky.

“When I was laying on the pavement that day, I just wanted God to let everybody know I love them because I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Davidson said.

But Davidson survived the crash.

“The three bikers after me did not survive,” Davidson said. “And so I’m very grateful that for some reason I did.”

That doesn’t make her road to recovery an easy task.

“I ended up on life support and some really bad injuries,” Davidson said.

Davidson, a mother and grandmother, underwent multiple surgeries and still can’t eat solid food.

She needs to raise money because she’s not been able to work, so fellow riders came together to support her during her recovery.

“She’s just a lovely lady,” Cherie George said. “She’s a local physician’s assistant in town, so she’s very well-known and just loved, very well loved.”

Raffles and auctions were orchestrated at the fundraiser in effort to support Davidson.

“It’s very relatable because we know how we can so easily be that person and so again we just want to rally around her,” George said.

Davison said the effort from her friends, family and fellow riders is helping her heal. Organizers of the effort to said Davidson has spent 20 years taking care of others, so the outpouring of help and outreach for her has a lot of meaning.

“I think that’s part of why am healing all the thoughts and prayers and efforts,” Davidson.

The organizers are still tallying the money received in her name.

“Motorcyclists are really a very loving group,” George said. “And so when we know that a fellow motorcyclist has been injured, we usually all rally. It’s something that we do very well.”