Anna Newhoff
NCR Reporter
The Callahan community will come together Saturday – not just to raise funds, but to celebrate the spirit and strength of a woman who continues to inspire everyone around her.
Latasha Taylor, 42, was shot in Jacksonville Feb. 15. With continuous prayers and medical intervention, Taylor has steadily made progress at UF Health Jacksonville. She is still on a ventilator and paralysis is suspected, but she can open her eyes and mouth words to those around her.
“She is like the strongest person on the planet,” said friend Elizabeth Johnson. “Just watching her go from (the doctors) telling us Sunday (Feb. 16) that she wasn’t going to make it to her having a conversation without speaking.”
Johnson and Taylor have been friends since age 8. They grew up together in Callahan and are still close friends.
“(Taylor) is just blessed and that is really the biggest thing … she just lights up the room, no matter where she is or what she’s doing,” Johnson said.
Taylor shares a life with husband Tony Taylor. The couple has been together for 24 years and married for 15 years. Together they have three children, Lexie Jones, Braydon Taylor, and Bryson Taylor. The family continues to lean on each other for strength.
“These kids are just so strong. But it’s because they have a strong mom,” Johnson said.
The Callahan community has come together to show tremendous support for the Taylor family. The overwhelming amount of love has given the family the strength to continue to push through during this hard time.
“Everybody has poured out their prayers for the family because that is what I really truly think is getting them through this,” Johnson said.
The community’s kindness has taken many forms. An Amazon wish list was swiftly fulfilled, ensuring Taylor’s family had essential items. A meal train was organized, providing three warm meals a day. Local builders donated $2,500 to the family while others gifted a deep freezer to store the abundance of donated food.
To provide further financial support during Taylor’s long recovery, Johnson and Alicia Hicks have organized a community fundraiser. The event promises fun for all ages and a chance to rally around the Taylor family.
The fundraiser will occur at Ewing Park in Callahan from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free and families can enjoy a bounce house obstacle course provided by Paradise Party Rentals, along with snow cones and cotton candy from Sophia’s Party Bouncers. The Riviera Maya taco truck will also be on-site for attendees to purchase food.
A raffle will feature prizes donated by local businesses, including a grill donated by realtor Bobbie “BJ” Powell, gift cards for Sweet as Cyn Coffee House and Donuts and Roasted Rooster Coffee Company, a $249 toothbrush bundle donated by Cumberland Dental Care, and more. Raffle tickets are $10 a piece or $50 for six tickets. Cash, Cash App, Zelle, and Venmo will be accepted.
Any support or donations are appreciated by the family no matter how big or how small.
“(The Taylor family) can’t express how thankful they are that people love her so much,” said Johnson. “And love them because they are an extension of her.”