NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Janae Edmonson, the Tennessee teen who lost her legs in a crash in downtown St. Louis, is out of the hospital and in rehab.
A driver hit Edmondson on Feb. 18 while she was walking to her hotel, after a volleyball tournament and it cost the athlete her legs.
On Friday, 5 On Your Side got reaction from Edmonson’s family and one of her former coaches.
The 17-year-old was pictured in a wheelchair with her parents by her side and the smile on her face is a reflection of resilience.
Edmonson was in town for a volleyball tournament when she was hit by a car that pinned her.
A month later, her parents updated the world on her condition saying:
"We are so glad for her to be taking the next step toward recovery. The road is going to be long and difficult, but it is one we have to take to get her home and back to her life. The physical and emotional toll has been beyond measure for all of us but she is a warrior and we are so proud of how she has faced it. Her strength is beyond measure.”
“Awesome kid. You couldn't ask for a better kid. Parents to their awesome," James Barnes, who coached Edmonson in softball from the time she was 8 to 12 years old, said.
Barnes told 5 On Your Side he put together nine teams for a flexiball tournament next week to continue raising money for his former player and her family.
Many teams have done similar fundraisers for the teen to support the many expenses that go along with her recovery process.
“She's going to have stuff that she had to deal with you know years and years down the road. It's not just right now so everything helps,” Barnes said.
Barnes echoed the strength of the athlete.
“Her dad being in the military. You know he's a fighter. Mom is super strong too so for Janae having the support she has is pretty awesome. Her ... she's not going to give up on nothing,” he said.
As of Friday, Edmonson's GoFundMe had reached more than $770,000.
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