Fort Dale Academy and a local business are banding together to help an injured student.

Fort Dale Academy junior Taylor Merry was involved in a serious one-vehicle accident Saturday night, in which she suffered extensive injuries that will require multiple surgeries and an extended hospital stay.

The school, along with area business Merle Norman, is raising funds to help offset the medical costs.

“We have just reached out to parents, if they can, to make some contribution to a fund that would help them with mostly the incidental expenses,” Fort Dale headmaster David Brantley said. “This is just attempt to help them in that way.”

Brantley said the junior class is spearheading most of the funding, but the SGA and other clubs are co-sponsoring this effort.

“Taylor has been at our school since kindergarten and she’s an outstanding young lady, cheerleader and student,” Brantley said. “She’s a real part of our family and she has others siblings in our school and her family has meant a lot to us over the years and this is our chance for us to reach out to them and show them love and appreciation.”

For the students participating, Brantley said this was a good opportunity to learn a life lesson.

“I think it’s a good lesson for our students so that they understand that if someone is in need, it’s opportunity for them to step up,” Brantley said. “That’s one of the reasons what we have talked about doing something so that students have an opportunity to learn something that will be a lifelong lesson for them.”

The community can also participate in contributing. If anyone would like to make a donation, they can visit Fort Dale’s front office.

Merle Norman will be donating 20 percent or more of all its sales to Taylor and her family through next week from Tuesday, Nov. 1 – Saturday, Nov. 5.

“I’ve known her since kindergarten,” beauty consultant Brittni Taylor said. “I was a cheerleader, and she kind of looked up to me. I was just doing all their make up for homecoming. You just never know with anybody.”

Merry is a frequent customer of Norman Merle and the company wanted to give back.

“It’s just to help her and her family out,” Taylor said. “My uncle actually had a bad car accident a few years ago and was on life support for six months and they said he never be able to walk again so we know who they feel,” Taylor said. “We’re actually calling it ‘Beauty Week for Taylor’ and ‘Beauty Week for a Beautiful Girl: Taylor Merry.’”

Merle Norman’s hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-3p.m.