JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 14-year-old Fletcher High School wrestler is facing a long road to recovery after she suffered a severe spinal injury during a match that left her partially paralyzed.
Addy was wrestling for Fletcher at Beachside High when the freak accident happened and she was diagnosed with a spinal concussion, which has caused paralysis and significant weakness on her right side, according to a GoFundMe set up by her aunt, Katelyn Bush.
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Addy’s mother, Jessica, told News4JAX her daughter was released from the hospital on Tuesday but now she will have extensive rehab and intensive therapy as she works to recover.
“While there is hope and determination moving forward, the road ahead is long and uncertain,” Bush wrote on the GoFundMe page. “This sudden, life changing event has brought immense emotional and financial stress to the family.”
The fundraiser page also shared that Addy has a 7-month-old sibling, and her family is navigating missed work, financial stress and mounting medical bills as they care for both children.
Bush said all funds raised through the GoFundMe page will go directly toward medical bills, co-pays, hospital stays, inpatient rehabilitation costs, travel expenses for treatment, and daily living expenses.
“Thank you so much for your kindness, generosity, and support,” Bush wrote. “Our family would be deeply grateful for your prayers, for sharing this fundraiser, and for standing with us during one of the hardest moments we have ever faced. Your love and encouragement truly mean more than words can express.”