WATERFORD, Wis. (WISN) – A terrible crash while visiting a friend in Nebraska has forever changed the life of a 17-year-old high schooler, as doctors say she is now paralyzed.
Family members say 17-year-old Evelyn “Evey” Laux, a high school junior, was visiting a friend during the recent holiday break when she was in a car crash in rural St. Paul, Nebraska. She was driving a pickup truck with her friend Jan. 3 when she lost control. The vehicle flipped upside down.
“Her friend had been thrown from the vehicle. Miraculously, he was OK, thank God,” said Evey Laux’s mother, Connie Laux. “But my daughter was not.”
The 17-year-old’s parents spoke about the crash Friday from a central Nebraska hospital, saying their daughter is paralyzed.
“I think little by little, day by day, she’s starting to come to grips with things,” Connie Laux said.
She and Evey Laux’s father, Tyson “T.J.” Laux, were back home in Waterford, Wisconsin – nine hours away – when their daughter’s Apple phone and Life360 app first alerted them to the crash. They jumped in the car and traveled the 620 miles to be by her side, staying on the phone with her medical team throughout the trip.
“Thank God, the neurosurgeon told us that it was not a life-threatening injury, and she was going to be OK. But she was going to be paralyzed, likely, as her spine was literally broke in half,” Connie Laux said.
Before the crash, Evey Laux enjoyed such activities as hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and horseback riding, her father says. She is now working just to sit up in her hospital bed.
“She’s spunky and really independent, which is going to be an excellent quality for her as she tries to navigate this whole new world that’s she’s going to be in,” Connie Laux said.
As Evey Laux recovers, her parents want to thank their support system in Wisconsin.
“The outpouring of love has just been so overwhelming. I’m so appreciative,” Connie Laux said. “The Milwaukee area is just full of love when it comes to something like this, and we’re so grateful.”
As they navigate their new reality, the family says Evey Laux may go to a rehab facility in Colorado. A GoFundMe set up to help them had raised nearly $68,000, as of Saturday night.
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