Her story is well-known in Bloomingdale and beyond.
Almost four years ago, a young woman ready to launch into life on her own stopped at the Bloomingdale Regional Public Library book drop and nearly lost out on life altogether at the hands of a brutal attacker.
Raped, beaten and left for dead, the East Bay High School senior, poised to go to the University of Florida with a full academic scholarship, was left with brain damage that had medical professionals writing off her chances of survival.
“At first, she wasn’t going to make it through the night,” said the young woman’s older sister, Anna.
“Then it was: ‘She’s going to be a vegetable the rest of her life.’ But she is extremely alert. … She’s very responsive. She’s got a lot of life in her.”
Last year, her assailant, Kendrick Morris, was sentenced to 65 years in prison for the crime.
Now 22, the young woman’s ongoing recovery is remarkable. She can sit up on her own for several minutes and stand with someone to help keep her balance. Her sister said she is trying to speak and form words. She smiles to respond to people. And though still dependent on a feeding tube for medication and sustenance, the young woman has begun to swallow again.
Her family hopes to wean her from the tube in a year or so.
Medicaid pays for doctor and home health care visits, but provides only $1,500 a year for therapy.
That pays for about one week, Anna said.
“The No. 1 need right now is therapy,” she said. Her sister receives ongoing therapy from local providers, and the family currently is looking at the possibility of putting the injured sister in an intensive brain rehabilitation program that is not covered by Medicaid.
Meanwhile, the Bloomingdale Homeowners Association decided to organize a Spring Classic Golf Tournament at the Bloomingdale Golfer’s Club to showcase the community’s popular course and benefit a worthy cause at the same time, said association board member Jane Lee.
Proceeds from the April 14 event will go to help the library victim on her road to recovery.
“As for a beneficiary, we couldn’t think of anyone better,” Lee said. “This young lady went through a horrific ordeal that will continue to affect the rest of her life. Who better or more deserving?”
Anna said the family is attending a fundraiser in Tampa earlier in the day but hopes to bring her sister to the tournament to meet participants. She said the family is grateful for the outpouring of community support over the years.
In addition to helping her sister walk and talk again, medical treatments not covered by Medicaid could help improve her vision, Anna said. Though technically her sister is blind, she sees light and shadow well enough to fool strangers who step into the room and start talking.
“She tracks so well, she seems to look right at you,” Anna said.
The tournament will have a shotgun start at 1 p.m. and can accept a maximum of 144 players.
Registration will start at noon. People can sign up as foursomes or singly, with singles being organized into foursomes on the day of the tournament, Lee said. The deadline to sign up for the tournament is April 7.
Dress code for players is collared shirts, soft spike shoes and no denims or cut-offs.
The cost of $80 per person or $300 for a foursome includes dinner at the golf club’s Legends Grill and the chance to participate in additional contests and drawings. The association also is seeking sponsorships.
Donations are tax-deductible. Checks can be mailed to Bloomingdale Homeowners Association, P.O. Box 7221, Brandon, FL 33508.
For information, call Heather Michael at (813) 340-6457, email Hgolf75@yahoo.com; or Lee at (813) 477-7120 or email inbloomingdalenews@tampabay.rr.com.
