Rick and Ivy Kohn Reed, wearing yellow hardhats, are all smiles as steam rises from the crater behind them on Dec. 9 ‐ 15 minutes before the killer White Island eruption, which killed 21 tourists and injured 26 others.
The couple shared the image on a GoFundMe page that seeks donations to help pay for their treatment and rehab. As of Monday, it had raised almost $40,000 of its $50,000 goal.
"This is the last picture taken of us before our lives changed forever," Ivy wrote in an update on the site, describing how they were covered in searing volcanic ash and overcome by toxic gases.
"We survived, were rescued and spent almost 8 weeks in a New Zealand Hospital receiving critical care treatment. Our dream vacation turned into a nightmare that we are still trying to comprehend," she continued.
"The next year will be the hardest of our lives while we try to rehab and regain as much functionality as possible," she said, adding that they have returned to the US.