Parents of teen girl left brain damaged in brutal school fight 'remain hopeful'
Kaylee Gain’s parents have broken their silence after the teen girl was left brain damaged following a horrifying attack during a high school .
The 16-year-old from St Louis, , remains in critical condition following her head being smashed multiple times against the concrete, leaving her convulsing on the floor in the gruesome incident. The sickening attack was caught on camera near Hazelwood East High School last Friday, March 8, and subsequently went on social media.
Now, Kaylee’s parents have spoken out for the first time as the family waits to learn the extent of the teen girl’s . “We are so grateful for the amazing medical staff who have been working tirelessly to give her the best possible chance at a full recovery,” they said in a message on a GoFundMe started by Kaylee's cousin, Hayden.
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They added: "We know she has a very long road ahead of her but we remain hopeful. We are so overwhelmed by all the support and love. Thank you!”
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge himAs of Friday morning, the had raked in a whopping $8,841 (£6,935). Even more incredibly, a separate account set up by a family friend has raised an eye-watering $282,000 (£221,200) – which was set up to offset Kaylee’s medical expenses and support her grieving family.
Her parents’ update comes after family friend Sarah Hall explained that the extent of the teen’s brain damage won’t be known until she wakes up. As of now, doctors say she's suffering from severe brain bleeding and swelling. “The path to recovery will be extremely hard on the family,” Sarah said.
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The fight broke out last Friday at 2.30pm, just blocks away from the high school. The viral clip shows Kaylee being thrown to the floor and beaten to a pulp by a girl who has not been identified.
She climbed on top of Kaylee, repeatedly calling her a “b***h”, before ferociously smashing her head into the concrete multiple times. The 16-year-old was left twitching on the floor as fights broke off around her.
The other girl, who is believed to be 15 years old, was later taken into custody. Sarah shared an update on the fundraising page: “She was left alone on the ground to convulse before EMTs arrived on the scene. She was admitted to one of the local hospitals in Saint Louis with a skull fracture and frontal lobe damage."
“She has major brain bleeding and swelling and is in critical condition. Kaylee is fighting hard to stay alive and heal but this is only the beginning of a very uphill battle for Kaylee and her family.”
Kaylee's grandmother has also spoken out about the incident. Taking to Facebook to share the GoFundMe for her granddaughter, Terry Nordstrom Thompson wrote: "It is unforgivable what she endured and went through. Our granddaughter is in very critical condition and fighting for her life."
In December, Terry wished Kaylee happy birthday on the social media platform. Sharing a series of photos of the teen, she wrote: "Happy Sweet 16 Birthday to our Granddaughter today..we love you so much!"
Kaylee’s injuries have prompted some lawmakers, including Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, to call for the other girl to be charged as an adult. “The criminal should be charged and tried as an adult,” Bailey wrote on his personal X account. “If the victim dies, that offence should rise to a homicide.”
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