Eden Prairie woman’s life remembered after fatal accident

Holly Chunmei Bergstrom’s life was defined by quiet perseverance in the face of significant challenges.

Adopted from China as an infant by Nancy and Gary Bergstrom, Holly grew up with developmental issues, including mild cognitive disabilities and a severe anxiety disorder.

On the evening of Aug. 3, the 25-year-old Eden Prairie woman’s life took a tragic turn when she was struck by a Honda CRV after she exited a car stopped in the northbound left turn lane of Flying Cloud Drive at the intersection with Anderson Lakes Parkway.

Although Holly survived the initial impact, she succumbed to her injuries the following day at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis.

Her mother is sharing Holly’s story to highlight the challenges her daughter faced and stress that the Honda CRV driver, a 17-year-old female from Shakopee, was not at fault.

Nancy explained that Holly’s cognitive disabilities made it difficult for her to fully comprehend situations or accurately assess risks.

“Her anxiety disorder also played a role, especially given the convergence of circumstances that occurred on Saturday night,” she said.

A day full of love and routine

Holly spent her final day with her best friend, Camryn Masse, whom she had known since they were infants and adopted from the same orphanage in Anhui Province, China.

The two, inseparable since childhood, began their day at 9:30 a.m. with coffee, attended a puppy event at PetSmart, visited Riley Lake Park beach, watched the Olympics, and had dinner at Culver’s.

Their bond was forged in China, where they first met as part of a small group of children adopted by families who traveled together to meet their new children. “They were two of four children in their adoption group,” Nancy recalled. After Camryn’s family moved to Eden Prairie, the two girls attended the same grade school. “Holly and Camryn have been together their whole lives – two peas in a pod,” Nancy said.

As evening approached, Holly’s anxiety began to build, compounded by the responsibility of walking the family dog, a task her parents had asked her to handle while they attended a Minnesota Twins game.

“She was such a people pleaser that she hated saying no, even to friends like Camryn, even if she was tired,” Nancy said. “She was very sensitive about how people perceived her and had thin skin – if someone unfriended her or didn’t respond right away to a text or post, it affected her deeply.”

Holly, seated in the backseat while Camryn and her boyfriend were in the front, grew increasingly anxious about getting home as they waited at a left turn light on Flying Cloud Drive. A police car, with its sirens activated, triggered the traffic light to cycle again, leaving them stuck at the light longer than usual.

“As they sat at the left turn light, she didn’t want to trouble Camryn by going back to get the items Holly had left at her house,” Nancy believes. “So, all of this led to her making a sudden decision: she thought, ‘I’m not far from home, so I’ll just get out of the car, run home, and walk the dog.'”

Camryn and her boyfriend tried to lock the windows and stop her, but “it all happened in a second – she just ran,” Nancy said.

Nancy believes Holly, who did not drive, was disoriented and ran in the opposite direction of their house, possibly confused about her location. She thinks Holly saw the crosswalk and assumed she could use it, not realizing she was in the middle of a highway with traffic on Flying Cloud Drive having the green light.

“She ran out and into the path of a moving car,” Nancy said. “It wasn’t that driver’s fault at all – this could happen to anyone. You’re driving perfectly, and suddenly something unexpected happens in front of you, and you can’t stop in time. She just didn’t stand a chance.”

Holly sustained grave injuries. “They were honest with us at (Hennepin Healthcare) from the start and told us it was a severe brain injury that she was unlikely to recover from,” Nancy said.

A life of creativity and determination

Despite her challenges, Holly found joy in creative pursuits and close connections with those around her. She enjoyed simple pleasures like exploring social media, playing Minecraft in survival mode, and watching romance and horror movies.

Holly’s love for animals, particularly cats, was another cornerstone of her life. “Our pets were very dear to her, and she adored cats – her room was filled with cat-themed decor and trinkets,” Nancy said. “Whenever she saw a random cat in public, she would almost squeal with delight.”

Her mother also shared that Holly was very visual. She had a keen eye for certain types of imagery – anything funky, artsy, or sparkly caught her attention.

“On vacations, she would take pictures, but not of the typical historic sites,” Nancy said. “For instance, when we visited Washington, D.C., she wasn’t interested in capturing photos of the Lincoln Memorial or the Capitol. Instead, she’d focus on something like a cool tile art piece that caught her eye.”

After graduating from Eden Prairie High School in 2017, Holly participated in the TASSEL program, designed for young adults ages 18 to 21 with disabilities.

“This program allowed her to explore various activities without the usual academic pressures, helping her find her path,” Nancy said. Holly excelled as a greeting card maker, one of the activities they offered.

Nancy also reflected on how Holly’s cognitive disabilities had a profound impact on her life. She and her husband were Holly’s primary caregivers, managing her needs such as food, transportation, appointments, medication, and finances throughout her life.

“We were often asked if she had autism, but she didn’t,” Nancy said. “Instead, she had the challenges, which, in many ways, had a similar impact on her life as autism might – such as not being able to live independently or support herself, and needing help with day-to-day tasks. It’s important to understand that big picture.”

Yet, Holly had an independent spirit and was often frustrated by her disabilities. “She wished she didn’t have them and often lamented that fact, which led her to try to assert her independence in various ways,” Nancy said.

Holly, though, was making strides. She found fulfillment in her job as an assistant in the kitchen at Nothing Bundt Cakes.

“She couldn’t handle the retail front, like waiting on customers and handling money, but she thrived as an assistant in the kitchen,” Nancy said. “They loved her there. Despite all her challenges, she had a strong work ethic.”

Nancy credits Camryn with encouraging Holly to try new things, such as rock climbing at Vertical Endeavors – something her mother never would have expected her to do. In addition to her other challenges, Nancy said Holly had sensory issues, a fairly small comfort zone, and struggled with an eating disorder called ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).

“She was a very easy-to-get-along-with person, very sweet, and a beautiful girl,” Nancy said. “Because my husband and I were so important to her, she was very worried about our age. My husband’s 67, and I’ll soon be turning 67, and she wondered what she was going to do when we got too old to take care of her. Now, that’s a moot point.”

Camryn, Holly’s best friend, shared her deep loss, saying, “She was the sweetest young lady and never said an unkind word. Holly has always been my best friend, my ‘sister’ from Day 1. Thanks for all of the laughs and fun memories.”

In a heartfelt Facebook post shortly after Holly’s death, Camryn wrote, “I lost my best friend tonight from getting hit by a car and having severe injuries throughout her whole body last night. I’m so lucky that we had a full day of fun starting at 9:30 a.m. until 8:15 p.m. As usual, we were attached at the hip, and some called us Thing 1 and Thing 2. I’m so grateful and honored I got to spend the entire day with her and be the last person to hold her before she got into the ambulance.”

A life remembered

Holly’s memorial service was held Friday morning at Redeemer Bible Church in Minnetonka, a place where she had recently found comfort despite her social anxiety.

“For a long time, she didn’t go to church because of her social anxiety, but two years ago, she started coming with us,” Nancy said. “It became important enough to her that she would conquer that anxiety.”

Holly is survived by her parents and her sister, Abby.

“We have a lot of support from our church, as well as from relatives, friends, and neighbors,” Nancy said. “Our beliefs play a big role in how we view the bigger picture of this situation.”