The step-mother of Kaylee Gain has shared a chilling account of the teenager's condition in hospital, describing her as "unrecognisable" with "tubes everywhere", following a savage fight at her school.
Kaylee, 16, was brutally attacked during a brawl at Hazelwood East High School in Missouri on March 8, where she suffered severe brain injuries after her head was repeatedly smashed into the ground. In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement read out on behalf of her distraught parents, Kaylee's step-mum detailed the horrifying extent of her injuries and the terrifying ordeal their family has been through.
She also revealed that Kaylee is now undergoing intensive therapy to relearn basic tasks such as speaking, walking, eating, showering and brushing her teeth. The trauma has also affected Kaylee's siblings who are receiving counselling to help them cope with the fear and stress of potentially losing their big sister.
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A victim impact statement from Gains step-mom was read on behalf of Gains parents (X)
Gains siblings have also needed counseling (KSDK News)She said: "After being notified of the incident, we spent hours pacing the floors of the hospital with the heartache and uncertainty of knowing whether our daughter was going to make it out of surgery alive."
"We weren't fully aware of the severity of her injuries until hours later when the surgeon came out to give us the first update. That is when we learned that she arrived to the hospital in an unresponsive state, and were informed if the paramedics had arrived even minutes later it is very likely she would have died."
"We learned that KG's skull was fractured so severely that her brain shifted its position inside her skull. The swelling in her brain required the surgeon to remove a piece of her skull. After six excruciating hours we learned that she made it out of surgery alive. We walked into her room to see our daughter's face so swollen that she was unrecognizable."
Kaylee's stepmom continued: "She had tubes coming from everywhere, including tubes coming from her head to drain the blood and fluid, to [IVs] in her arms, and a breathing tube as she couldn't breathe on her own as of yet. It was a horrifying image - one that will live forever in our memories."
A judge will decide if the case of the 15-year-old charged with the first-degree assault of teen Gain will remain in the juvenile system (Clinton Gain/Facebook)
'We spent hours with the heartache and uncertainty of knowing whether our daughter was going to make it' (@christineT12751/X)For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US
A judge will decide if the case of the teen charged over the assault of Kaylee will remain in the juvenile system. Maurnice Declue, 15, faces the first-degree assault charge.
Court hearings are set to decide if the case should be transferred to another court. According to First Alert 4, the officer in charge of the case suggested it stay within juvenile jurisdiction.
Greg Smith, the attorney for Declue, stated: "We certainly agree with the juvenile officer... I'm glad they made that decision. They handle these types of cases every day."
In court, Smith revealed that Kaylee had previously encountered suspension due to a brawl and that Declue was actually the initial victim.
A number of witnesses called by the defence, teachers included, unanimously agreed that Declue did not have any prior behavioural problems. Her Spanish teacher, Richard Bly, labelled her a "model student" saying she "actively participated and excelled in class."
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He noted that she was performing so well academically, she was able to skip year seven, making her one of the youngest in her class. On the other hand, it was recognised by both parties that Kaylee sustained grave injuries from the fight with prosecutors branding it as a "brutal attack."
The judge rejected a proposition to let Declue out on home-detainment leading Smith to express his disappointment with the verdict. He added: "She's been in detention for two months now, as you heard in the hearing she's done fantastic in detention."
A tearful Consuella Declue, Declue's mum, told the court that her daughter regretted the incident, adding: "My family, my church, we all prayed for KG [Kaylee Gain]. I think [my daughter] was just defending herself, I don't think she had any intent or thought this would happen to KG and we are very sorry."
The Gain family lawyer, Bryan Kaemmerer, gave an update on the teen's condition last week, which revealed that a portion of her skull was removed. "The portion of Kaylee's skull that was removed still has not been put back in place. Ever since Kaylee underwent this procedure it has been necessary for her to wear a custom helmet in order to protect her brain in the event of a fall. Kaylee is scheduled to undergo an additional surgery to reattach this portion of her skull which will require yet another hospitalization," the statement said.
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