Help Briana Walk Again

On Monday, July 25, Briana and her childhood best friend, Kayla Noonan were the victims of a domestic violence shooting in her own bedroom. The incident claimed her friend's life and left Briana in critical condition in the hospital: she was shot six times with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

Her injuries were life-altering. In addition to having bullet shrapnel in her chest and back, the top of her femur was completely pulverized and her pelvis was broken. Upon arrival at the hospital, the doctors worked tirelessly to save her and minimize the damage as much as possible. The shattered bone in her leg was replaced with a metal rod and attached to her pelvis via a connecting rod that screwed into the bone. Although she was able to keep the leg, the doctors were unsure if she would ever regain feeling and use.

Through all of these surgeries and decisions, Briana remained unconscious. Upon her waking several days after the shooting, we continued to learn to what extent her injuries had affected her. Due to nerve damage in her thigh, Briana had completely lost function and feeling in her left leg and was confined to a wheelchair for the foreseeable future. Her back had been torn open by a bullet’s exit and the wound continued bleeding for several weeks. She required additional surgeries to ensure the shrapnel that remained in her body would not pierce her heart or spine. The doctors were unsure to what extent she would recover. But Briana has approached recovery with a single minded focus that has led her to surpass all expectations. Regardless of the doctors' diagnosis, she continues to fight every day. Since her stay in intensive care, she has regained feeling in her leg to her ankle. And less than two months since the shooting, she is now able to walk with a brace and crutches.

Despite her immense progress, doctors warn that the recovery process will be a long and difficult journey. And her challenges unfortunately do not end with her physical and mental health. The cost of the medical devices and care she will need as she continues her recovery on her own are imposing. This GoFundMe aims to help Briana with her current medical costs and future costs associated with her continued healing. This would include therapy that will address her physical, mental, and emotional trauma and injuries and assistive devices that will help her adjust to being disabled.

Any donations are appreciated immensely; we thank you for taking the time to read this.