It’s been over three weeks since a skateboarding accident left Michelle Money’s daughter severely injured and fighting for her life. But according to the teen’s father, while Brielle remains at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, she is now making huge strides.
The former “Bachelor” contestant’s ex-husband, Ryan Money, provided an uplifting update about their 15-year-old on Instagram Wednesday.
“Brielle is absolutely crushing our expectations,” he wrote. “Everything that we were prepared for she is blowing out of the water. To think that 10 days ago she hadn't moved and we had not heard her speak, and she is now walking and talking and it would be hard for you to tell that she was just 3 weeks out from an accident.”
It’s been a trying time for the entire family since that accident, in which Brielle suffered a fractured skull and brain injury. But one clear sign of the hopefulness the family now feels can seen in the photos the father posted alongside the message.
The pics show Brielle’s siblings and holding signs of support and messages of love as they stand outside the hospital due to coronavirus restrictions.
As for Brielle, her dad says that her spirits have lifted as her condition has improved.
“She proudly proclaims, ‘I do not have one tube hooked up to me anymore,’” he wrote. “The sensor in her head, the drain in her head, the pic line in her leg, the IVs in both arms and foot, the breathing tube and the feeding tube are ALL GONE! Nobody is more excited about this than she is. Ever since the tubes have been gone we have not been able to keep her down.”
He added that they expect her to be released from the hospital sometime next week, when she can begin the at-home part of her recovery process — and a more laid-back lifestyle than the thrill-loving teen is used to.
“The doctors have talked with us about being extremely cautious for 6 months to a year, no riding bikes, running, sports for her,” he wrote. “But that is a small price to pay for the injury she sustained.”
He closed the update with thanks to those who’ve prayed for Brielle, as he, like her mother, believes the prayers have made all the difference. “We owe you more than we can repay so grateful for all the good that was poured out upon us!”
While Michelle Money has taken a break from social media for the past two weeks, before that, she too offered updates on Brielle’s condition and, even more importantly, she urged other parents to learn from their situation.
"This is the worst experience of my life,” she wrote shortly after her daughter’s accident. “ALWAYS MAKE THEM WEAR THE HELMET. ALWAYS. EVEN WHEN THEY PUSH BACK.”