Students and faculty joined together to support and pray for the health of Christina Porter '06 at a mass held at Aquinis House Thursday night.
At present, Porter remains at the intensive care unit at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and is in relatively stable condition, having sustained a critical injury to the head while participating in a physical education ski course on Tuesday
Although the special did not vary much from a typical mass, some of the hymns and Biblical selections recited at the service were chosen with Porter in mind.
Porter's parents, President James Wright, Dean of College James Larimore and Upperclass Dean Teoby Gomez were in attendance.
The event at AQ took place on a day in which the College and Porter's parents spoke publicly on the accident for the first time.
Brent and Mary Porter, Christina's parents, released two statements on Thursday.
In a statement released to the College, Porter's expressed that they were grateful for the support they have received from the Dartmouth community.
"We very much appreciate the many expressions of concern for Christina and hopes for her recovery that we have received and continue to receive," they said in a statement.
At the mass, a statement from Porter's parents that was read touched on the need for better safety helmets and for better landscaping at the Dartmouth Skiway.
On behalf of the College, Larimore said that Porter's "family and friends are with her and doctors are doing everything in their power to help her make a recovery."
At present, Porter's exact health beyond what her family indicated as a "relatively stable condition" is unclear.
Sources told The Dartmouth on Tuesday that Porter had entered a coma and would remain in it for at least a week.
However, neither Larimore nor Porter's parents' statements indicated whether or not Porter is currently in a coma.
Although the exact sequence of events from the moments leading up to Porter's accident to her arrival at DHMC have yet to be released, sources indicated the student members of the Dartmouth Ski Patrol played a significant role in Porter's rescue and preparation for airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
After locating the site of the accident, sources said, ski patroller contacted DHMC, the patrollers skied her down the mountain and then commandeered a car to drive her to the waiting helicopter. Porter was in a helicopter en route to DHMC less than 20 minutes after the Dartmouth Ski Patrol arrived at the site of the injury, according to sources.
The College will be offering forums for friends and other students for gatherings of mutual support for Porter at the Collis Center, Room 212 on Friday, Feb. 6 and Monday through Friday, Feb. 9 through 13 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
