BOERNE, Texas — Friends are calling it a miracle.
Boerne Police Officer Michele Van Stavern was directing traffic after a high school football game Friday night, when she was struck by a truck traveling southbound on N. Esser Street, according to police. She was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Boerne Police reported on their Facebook page Monday that Van Stavern is “slowly recovering” and she was able to walk on her own.
Van Stavern serves as a school resource officer at Boerne Middle School North, and students said they will miss her positive influence on campus while she’s recovering.
“She walks around campus and greets the students. She likes to interact with us, and she knows a lot of us by name,” said 8th grade student Bryce McElhannon.
Students say Van Stavern has made a big impact on the campus.
“We know that we’re safe at our school, and we also have a friend to talk to,” said McCoy Bruce, another 8th grader at Boerne Middle School North.
Neighbors said Van Stavern has captured the hearts of people in the tight-knit Boerne community.
Christopher Stout has a special needs son, and said Van Stavern devotes a lot of her own time to Special Olympics. “All those kids think she's just a huge hero,” Stout said.
The dad to a 3rd grader said Van Stavern often attends Special Olympics events and interacts with the athletes.“She's not only an officer that's there to protect everyone, but she just loves the kids,” he said.
Stout said it’s been a community-wide outpouring of love and support for the officer who as touched the lives of so many. “She has just tons of support here from this entire community,” he said.
And her students want their school resource officer to know how much she means to them.
“Thank you for everything you do for us and our school. We appreciate it a lot,” Bruce said.
Boerne Police said that people have asked how they can help during Van Stavern’s recovery. If you’d like to make a donation to help with hospital and other expenses, you can donate through the Boerne Police Foundation.
A special prayer service will be held Tuesday at St. Peter’s the Apostle Catholic Church in Boerne at 7:00 p.m. to pray for the “full and speedy recovery” of Van Stavern.
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