For days and weeks, Kendall Thomas’ family prayed by her bedside.
“All we wanted and needed was for our baby girl to JUST. WAKE. UP,” her mother posted on Facebook.
But Kendall’s body wasn’t ready. On Jan. 11, the 14-year-old was on her way to football practice when she was hit by a car in the North Paulding High School parking lot. Kendall was in a crosswalk when she was struck by a 17-year-old driver who failed to stop, according to a Georgia State Patrol report.
“By the time the car saw Kendall and she saw the car, it was too late,” Kendall’s father, Kelvin Thomas, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution days after his daughter was injured.
The crash remained under investigation Wednesday, the State Patrol said.
After 14 weeks in the hospital, Kendall returned to her Dallas-area home Tuesday, her family said in a Facebook post.
Credit: Family photos
Credit: Family photos
“Today is the day that we have longed for; it is the day that we have waited for; it is the day we all have prayed for ... Discharge Day!” the post read.
It was a day that almost seemed like it would never come. Several times, Kendall’s discharge had been delayed as she continued to heal.
The impact threw Kendall to the curb, according to the State Patrol. She was taken by ambulance to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where she underwent two emergency surgeries for a fractured skull. Somehow, she didn’t break any bones in her chest or back, her family said. But she remained unconscious for days with her family by her side.
As a young girl, Kendall had decided she didn’t want to be a cheerleader. Football was the sport for her, and her parents agreed to let her try it. Last fall, she started on defense for the North Paulding ninth-grade team, her father said.
Her battle to survive would prove to be Kendall’s toughest fight yet. Her parents asked for continued prayers for her healing.
After seven weeks at Kennestone, Kendall was moved to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite to continue her recovery. While their community at home rallied to help the family through fundraisers, the Thomases called the hospital home. Kendall’s mother, Shanna, said the family turned to faith, searching for patience as her body healed.
“Just when we were ready to let go, God’s mercy and his grace kept us,” Shanna Thomas posted. “Our new level of anxiety became our new level of hope. Our pain became joy. Our restlessness became peace. Our doubts became faith. Our ‘new normal’ became our test and our test is becoming a testimony.”
The family has asked for privacy in the coming days while adjusting to the return home.
“Thank you for your love, continuous prayers, and support,” the family said. “God bless each and every one of you beyond measure and belief.”
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