HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A day after ABC13 shared her story, the victim of a hit-and-run, Dania Zaheer, now has hope for her future.
Zaheer said last Thursday, she was crossing the street at Westheimer and Sage at about 8 p.m. when her memory went black. According to the Houston Police Department, a person behind the wheel of a vehicle hit her and drove off.
Zaheer had left her family behind in Pakistan a few months ago to earn her master’s degree in business administration in Houston.
She thought she would face recovery alone, but fortunately, some local organizations are jumping in to help.
The bad news, though, is that HPD has no leads on who did this, Zaheer. They have a witness who saw what happened, but the person allegedly couldn’t provide a car or suspect description.
Detectives are still looking for video, but they have yet to find any since ABC13’s last call.
She suffered a myriad of injuries in the crash.
“I have a broken pelvis, broken arm, broken femur, broken hip, skull fractures, a broken eye socket, and fluid in my lungs, which makes it hard to breathe,” Zaheer said.
ORIGINAL STORY: MBA student from Pakistan left in bad shape after hit-and-run near Galleria: ‘My life is finished’
Dania Zaheer spoke to ABC13 from a hospital bed nearly a week after police say a driver hit her and took off near the Galleria.
Zaheer’s bravery in speaking publicly about her desperate situation has sent shockwaves through the community.
“To see somebody who is about the same age as my daughter laid up and crying like that and in pain, it was very painful to see,” Salman Razzaqi, president of the Pakistani Association of Greater Houston, said.
When Razzaqi watched ABC13’s interview with Zaheer on Wednesday, he rallied together community leaders and even the Consulate General of Pakistan to visit Zaheer.
“I think she is coming back to normal. She saw this response, help, support and heard comforting words from all of us,” Razzaqi said. “Our goal is to get her back on her feet, go back to college, get her degree, and find her American dream.”
One of the people now in Zaheer’s corner is Houston businessman Ali Sheikhani. He said that through a foundation that started in memory of his late mother, he plans to do everything to help Zaheer.
“I told her, ‘Please, focus on your health. Don’t worry about the (finances). We will take care of the (finances). We will talk to her mom and dad (and) pay for school fees. We will take care of everything,'” Sheikhani, CEO of Sheikhani Group Inc., said.
Zaheer came here on a student visa, leaving her parents behind in Pakistan. When she spoke from the hospital, she had no idea how she could get through recovery.
“I am all alone here. I have no one here, not even someone to take care of me. I don’t even know after getting out of the hospital who will be there,” Zaheer said.
In a touching turn of events, a plan is now in motion to fly Zaheer’s parents to Houston.
“We’ll talk to our attorney and try to get them a visa as fast as we can,” Sheikhani said.
Zaheer, still very weak, told ABC13 via text that she is thankful for all the support. She asks for privacy and for the public to let trusted organizations take it from here.
“We will do everything in our power to make sure she gets through this. I think she will be back to normal in no time,” Razzaqi said.
For the moment, Zaheer is not asking for donations. Razzaqi asks the community to be patient. He said if they do start a fund at a later date, there will be an announcement.
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