Kali Merickle, 16, completed her second physical therapy session Monday after suffering serious injuries from a two-vehicle accident on January 8. Her family is leaning on the community’s support to get through this difficult time.
“I didn’t think it was going to be this much of a struggle, but it’s crazy,” Merickle said. “It’s hard seeing people do things that I can’t do.”
Merickle was in a car with three of her friends to pick up her brother from school at about 3:30 p.m. on 114th Street between University and Indiana Avenue. She said she remembers driving along 114th Street and then suddenly spinning off the road.
Lubbock Police said the driver lost control of the car and hit a Chevy pick-up driving in the opposite direction.
Related Link: LPD Investigates Two-Vehicle Wreck in South Lubbock
“There was so much going on. I didn’t feel like I was there,” Merickle said. “I feel like I was dreaming or something. Firefighters holding my hand and putting a thing on my neck, they didn’t know if it was broken or not. People were cutting the door and I had to tell them if they were cutting my leg with the saw, just so much going on.”
Merickle and her three friends were rushed to the hospital. Police said two had moderate injuries and the other two with serious injuries, including Kali.
“I completely broke my femur, I cut my knee in half, I broke both my hips and my pelvis,” Merickle said. “Then they had to put a rod in my knee and a pin in my right hip.”
Her family said they have stopped everything to be with her in the hospital. They now face several medical bills along with new physical therapy.
“All of the medical costs, the surgeries, the ICU, and she was there for five days,” Kali’s Mother said.
Baylee said Kali was just released from the hospital on Friday and now faces a long rode to recovery.
“I’m just thankful that we get to have this long road of recovery because when you see the car, it’s a miracle that she made it out.”
She said the community’s support has been overwhelming since the accident. Lubbock Firefighters from Station 16, who cut Kali out of the car, helped the family move into their new house so Kali would have a place to come home to after the hospital.
A+ Restoration volunteered to build a wheelchair ramp outside the frontdoor for the teen who is in a wheelchair for the next several months.
A family friend started a fundraiser called, “Care for Kali Merickle” where 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward Merickle’s medical bills.
