ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The girl critically injured in a fight seen by millions of people online remains in the hospital with traumatic brain injuries, her family confirmed.
The girl, who family members identified as 16-year-old Kaylee Gain, remains in the hospital with brain bleeding and swelling, according to two GoFundMe pages started to help the family with medical costs. She remains in critical condition.
"We will not know the extent of the brain damage that has occurred until she wakes up," one of the GoFundMe pages said, "but the path to recovery will be extremely hard on the family, not only mentally but financially."
Gain, a Hazelwood East High School student, was critically injured and hospitalized following a fight that unfolded Friday at the intersection of Norgate and Claudine drives near campus, according to the St. Louis County Police Department.
A viral video shows a girl slam Gain's head into the ground over and over again.
The GoFundMe pages said Gain's parents are staying by their daughter's side day and night. A grandparent confirmed to 5 On Your Side that both of the GoFundMe pages are legitimate and will both be used to help with costs incurred from Gain's injuries and the parents' lost wages.
A statement attributed to Gain's parents on one of the GoFundMe pages reads: "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. 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!"
The department said on Saturday, a 15-year-old suspect was arrested and is currently being held by St. Louis County Family Court on assault charges. The identity of the suspect will not be disclosed because they are a minor.
John O'Sullivan with the St. Louis County Courts said it is too soon to know if the suspect will be charged as an adult. There will be a court hearing in the next few weeks.
Click the links below to visit the GoFundMe pages.
One of the GoFundMe pages has raised more than $125,000.
An initial statement from Hazelwood School District read:
"It is a tragedy anytime children are hurt. Bullying and fighting in the community is an issue for which we all need to take ownership and work towards a resolution for the sake of our children. The Hazelwood School District offers our sincerest condolences to everyone involved, and will offer additional emotional support from our support and crisis team to those in need. We look forward to continuing to partner with our community for the sake of our children. Please be kind and respectful of the families involved during this difficult time and pledge to help work toward the betterment of our entire community."
On Wednesday 5 On Your Side reached out to see if there was more support provided, additional statements, or availability for an interview.
A spokesperson said, "HSD is a resource-rich district, so students always have emotional support and programs available. We are not conducting any interviews and do not have any additional statements."
Therapist Dr. Leslie Davis watched the video of the horrific fight.
She called the actions alarming and said, "Why is someone recording a fight like this and not calling for help? Just seeing her on the ground helpless and how there was an outbreak of other fights around her and she's just laying there, but no one was coming to help her."
Davis works with teens to prevent violence. She recommends parents to tell their kids to speak up.
She believes social media and the pandemic could be playing roles in the disturbing trend of fights.
"Once they got back to the school system, bullying increased and violence started to increase. I think that's because they didn't have any connection and once they were forced to connect again, when there is conflict, they don't have the communication skills and they engage in violence. That seems to be a natural response to express what they’re feeling," Davis shared. "When you’re exposed to violence especially watching TikTok or Instagram and scrolling video after video, the algorithm changes and that’s all you see. You see violent behavior and that becomes normalized."
She said violence is learned behavior and adults can set an example. Davis also added, it's important to identify the emotions one is dealing with.
Davis said, "We have to understand as adults that the way we resolve conflict in person with youth around us, they are picking up those patterns so if we don't want youth to engage in violence or to engage in hateful actions, we have to be mindful of our own responses to conflict."