Aug 28, 2007 5:17 pm US/Central
Family Of Girl Impaled By Rebar Talks To CBS 11
PAM HARRIS
DENTON COUNTY (CBS 11 News) ―
It was just over three weeks ago when a young Denton County girl was involved in an unusual accident on her bicycle.
Five inches of rebar impaled Alexa Eason's head.
"When I first got to her, I told her not to move, and that just made her want to move her arms and legs," Alexa's mom Peggi said. "I almost had to lie on top of her to keep her on the ground."
Peggi said the rebar was out of her head when she got to her. "We think that she pushed herself off the rebar and fell on the ground," Peggi said.
Two of the neighborhood children spoke with CBS 11 about the accident.
Click here to see the story.
The six-year-old was taken by air ambulance to a local hospital. She was in a coma for nearly a week.
Click here to see the news story that originally aired the day the accident happened.
Her mother says Alexa is a miracle. Doctors didn't expect her to survive.
Alexa is now in rehab, undergoing therapy at least three times a day.
"You see a purple rabbit down there? I see it, go get it," Alexa's occupational therapist said to her in a recent therapy session.
Alexa's parents are also involved in the therapy sessions. "Dad's 'O'. See if you can get an 'X.' I bet you can," her therapist encouraged her.
Alexa is relearning things she already knew, but she's making progress and beating the odds.
"The majority of her memory seems to be intact," said Peggi. "She can count; she knows her numbers." One memory Alexa doesn't have is of the day of the accident.
Alexa also has limited use on her right side, but she is starting to show improvement.
"The movement on her right side is starting to pick up. It's still very limited, but every now and then she would straighten her leg or pick the hand up," said Peggi.
Alexa communicates with a 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs down,' and she smiles when she holds her favorite stuffed animal.
"Just a few days ago, she started shaking her head and saying 'uhn-ah.' That's the only world we've gotten out of her yet," Peggi said.
Alexa and her family are hopeful she'll be able to go back home within the next few weeks.
Peggi says the family isn't angry at the company that left the rebar on a construction trailer in the neighborhood.
"He bears some responsibility; so does she," said Peggi. "She wasn't wearing a helmet. She knows better."
They're just thankful their little girl is alive, and the family is hoping for a full recovery.
"We knew you were strong honey," said Peggi to her daughter. "We just didn't know how strong. We should have known."
(CBS 11 News)
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