Eight days after a bullet in her spine left her paralyzed from the chest down, the family of 18-year-old Ashley MacLean-Kearse is preparing for her life after leaving the hospital.
The Grade 12 student from Cole Harbour High School, who had dreamed of becoming a nurse, was injured in a recent triple shooting that sent three teens to hospital.
Now Ashley’s family is trying to keep her spirits up, while raising money to help pay for the expenses that come with her recovery.
“She is going to have to go through extensive rehab to get any strength back in her arms; she won't have full function of her arms,” her mother, Wendy Kearse, told CTV News.
“She'll never be able to live independently.”
Kearse said her daughter will have to undergo four to six months of rehab before going home.
Meanwhile, Kearse has quit her job to take care of Ashley and is now looking into how much it will cost to make their home wheelchair accessible.
“We need to have a place to accommodate her with everything … she is going to need a van and a lift, she'll need a wheelchair,” Kearse said.
Police say four masked men burst into a Cole Harbour home and started firing on Nov. 30.
Two boys were also shot and have been released from hospital.
Four teens are facing charges including attempted murder.
“She may still be breathing, but they really took her life from her,” said Kearse.
“She will go on and learn to have a new life, but they took everything from her.”
Ashley is on the road to recovery now, and her family is asking for financial help as they confront the challenges ahead.
They are asking for donations through their GoFundMe page and more than $8,000 of their $30,000 goal had been raised as of Tuesday morning.
They have also set up an account under Ashley’s name at RBC.
People can donate that way using Branch Transit #01833 and Account #5251368.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl
