Just days after a 17-year-old girl was released from the hospital after being struck in the head by a stray bullet in Brooklyn earlier in October, her mother spoke with the PIX11 Morning News to share an update on the teen.
Kyla-Simone Sobers-Batties was an innocent bystander when she was hit by a bullet while playing in a playground outside the Gowanus Houses on the afternoon of Oct. 1, police said.
She was initially hospitalized in critical condition, but was released on Friday, Oct. 15, smiling and waving as she was wheeled out of the Brooklyn hospital. She turned 17 on Saturday.
Her mother, Nadine Sobers, told PIX11 on Monday, Oct. 18, how the family was able to celebrate the teen's birthday as she recovers.
"Her birthday went really well. She had a couple of visitors...her brother, a couple of her friends, and a lot of cake," her mom said with a smile. "She's doing really well. It's amazing," Sobers added.
But it wasn't always smiles since the shooting nearly took her daughter's life.
"The first weeks was basically, hell...especially the first couple of days," the mom said. "That first week was one of the hardest things myself or my family have had to go through."
Miraculously, Kyla's recover has even surprised doctors, her mom said.
"Kyla being the amazing person that she is, seemed to have recovered a lot quicker than anybody ever expected. Even the doctors were amazed by it," Sobers shared.
The teen's mother also shared what her recovery looks like from here on out, including rehabilitation and out-patient services.
"She's pushing," Kyla's proud mother said.
Zac Martin, founder and executive director of Trellis, a community-based nonprofit that helps neighborhoods address injustice, also joined Sobers on PIX11.
Martin organized a GoFundMe to help Kyla and her family with medical expenses and more.
He explained how he got involved with the teen and her family, and how his organization wants to support them so they don't have to worry right now with bills and taking time off from work and other expenses in the coming weeks and months.
