PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A Paulding County Sheriff's Office sergeant's daughter is recovering from brain surgery but still has a long road ahead of her after being hit by another driver.
On a GoFundMe page for Alexis Whitley, the page's organizer shared an update from the teen's mother on how the procedure to relieve the pressure on her brain had gone.
"Alexis' mom, Ginger has informed me that Alexis is having complications after surgery with her pressure rising sharply," Linda Jean Barrett said on Tuesday. "Please remain in prayer for this young girl and her sweet family."
She said on Thursday that pressure in her head had reached hits highest level and that Alexis described it as "a knife stabbing me in my head."
"She for sure has something in there, just not a knife," her mom said in her latest update.
Alexis was rear-ended by a pickup truck going more than 50 miles per hour in October. The driver, the post says, was speeding, distracted and underinsured.
"In one moment, Alexis went from being a vibrant, incredibly intelligent young girl with big goals to one who is in constant pain with brain swelling and severe neck injuries," family friend Linda Jean Barrett wrote in the GoFundMe post. "In that same moment, this family went from thriving to struggling."
Alexis' father is Sgt. Michael Whitley in the Paulding County Sheriff's Office. The GoFundMe was to help the family handle medical expenses. Though they do have insurance, Barrett said their deductibles are very high.
In addition to allowing the community to help the family financially, it has also served as a means of helps the family update the public on her condition.
And while the pressure was the biggest concern in the Thursday update, there was some good news for Alexis.
"She had her last dose of antibiotics and was able to come off of her fluids," her mom shared. "She loved that."
She also enjoyed the many flowers, balloons and stuffed animals sent by well-wishers in the community. She's also been able to color and walk according to her mom.
As for the next part of Alexis' journey, she will be finding out more about that as soon as Friday.
"Not so sure Michael and I can sit through another brain surgery," her mom wrote. "Although he handled it way, way better than I did."
For now, she's just asking people to pray for their daughter.
"She's the sweetest thing," Ginger said. "God sure did make her awful special."
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