ROBERTSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Robertson County teen who nearly drowned last month is slowly making progress, according to her family.
Cheyanne Walters, 17, remains in the ICU at Tristar Centennial Hospital — more than a month after the incident on Jan. 8.
Her family is rejoicing that Cheyanne is now off a ventilator, saying she has been smiling and opening her eyes.
“The doctors didn’t really have hope,” Cheyanne’s mother, Emma Kramp, explained.
However, she did.
“I still have my daughter. She may not be the same, but she’s still my baby,” Kramp explained following what she called “a freak accident.”
Cheyanne has been in the ICU since slipping into a creek near a low-level dam as she tried to pull a ball from the water.
“The days run together here. So does time. It’s been tough, but you gotta keep going.”
The mother counts her blessings as she watches her daughter fight to survive — from being unresponsive to removing the ventilator.
“I’ll put my head on her shoulder and she will smile and there’s been a few times where I’ve put her hand on my face and she will cry,” said Kramp.
Every interaction is an emotional journey for Cheyanne’s family, with her mom by her side.
“My job now is to take care of Cheyenne full-time.”
Kramp trusts in her faith, although unsure of what tomorrow holds.
“I’m hoping one day she will walk and she will be able to talk to us and will be able to tell us what happened,” she said.
This is the latest tragedy the family has dealt with, as Cheyanne’s mom lost her home just over a year ago in the deadly Kentucky tornado outbreak.
“It took the frame out and sucked it out from under us,” Kramp explained showing a picture of her crumbled home.
Cheyanne and her mom are seen standing in front of the destruction in the picture, the photo serving as a reminder of the power in God’s grace as the family continues praying.
“We appreciate everything that everybody has been doing, prayers are most important,” she began to cry.
As humble as Kramp is, the reality is she has put her life on hold and hasn’t worked since the accident to be by her daughter’s side.
There is a GoFundMe account to help with the financial burden. If you would like to donate, click here.
