It’s every parent’s worst nightmare and something we all fear – that our children might one day get hit by a vehicle on the street.
Unfortunately, we read about it year after year. This time, it involves a precious 7-year-old girl from Utah.
Emery Burrows, 7, from St.George, Utah, is now fighting for her life at a Las Vegas hospital. She needs all the support she can get – thankfully, there are many people rallying behind her and her family.
The tragic accident happened last weekend. Emery, described by her family as a ”firecracker”, was struck by a pickup truck and sustained severe injuries.
She was airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas, where she is receiving treatment. According to the family, Emery and her brother were playing soccer in their front yard at dusk when their ball rolled into the road.
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Emery did as she had been instructed: she waited for the cars to pass so she could retrieve the ball. She spotted one car approaching, but didn’t see a pickup truck approaching from the other side.
”She looked right, looked left, she looked left there was a car coming, she stopped that car saw her, saw the ball, and stopped,” her aunt, Kate Story, told Fox13.
”Then Emery proceeded to run from that car and didn’t see there was a vehicle coming the opposite way.”
The collision was severe, and chaos unfolded at the scene. When officers arrived, they found Emery unconscious.
The driver, a neighbor who lives near the Burrows family, never saw Emery. He remained at the scene and cooperated with the police investigation.
”There’s nothing they could’ve done; it’s dark, you don’t see a ball or a kid,” Kate Story said. ”Then all of a sudden there’s this little peanut right in front of you.”
Emery suffered serious injuries, including a fractured skull, brain bleeding, and a tibia fracture.
”It was one of those things where it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s not really Emery’s fault. It’s definitely not this guy’s fault,’” Kate Story, Emery’s aunt, told KSL.
”It’s just a tragedy.”
GoFundMe
The family quickly set up a GoFundMe page to cover medical expenses and has requested prayers and support. The response has been tremendous, with the family receiving over $13,000 at the time of writing. Most importantly, though, Emery continues to make progress. She can now breathe on her own, and her little body is putting up one hell of a fight.
”She’s doing remarkable for what her little body, the trauma that it has endured,” said Emery’s aunt. ”A chain and screws are holding Emery’s injured leg together, she said, and her brain bleed and swelling are going down.”
Emery, who loves to dance and play soccer, has proven to be a true fighter. The road to recovery will be long, but the support from the community and the energy the family can draw from Emery’s fighting spirit are helping.
By Monday evening, after being taken off sedation and managing to breathe independently, Emery could utter a few words, although her consciousness was intermittent, as reported by Fox13.
”She’s in and out of consciousness right now, she’s breathing on her own, she does have the ability to speak although she hasn’t been talking and conversing yet or opened her eyes to make eye contact yet,” said Story. ”But as far as traumatic brain injury, all of those signs are reassuring.”
It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for Emery’s family, but her aunt says the prayers pouring in have sustained her recovery.
GoFundMe
”We can’t stop crying. It’s been so emotional. We’ve just been so blessed with the outpouring of love, and Emery is very fierce. So if anybody can get through this, it’s her.”
Emery’s mom has also left a message on the GoFundMe-page, asking for continued prayers and support.
“Please pray for my tiny girl to make a full recovery so she can get back to dancing, playing soccer, and loving on her puppies. Please also pray for my neighbor that hit her, that he and his wife will be able to heal from this tragedy as well. Thank you,” Emery’s mom wrote.
Sending my thoughts and prayers for everyone and the family!