Makayla Noble, the Texas high school cheerleader who was paralyzed in a freak tumbling accident, is making good progress in rehab and was able to sit up all by herself on Halloween, according to an update from her family.
The news comes as donations to a GoFundMe page set up by a family friend to help the Nobles with the 17-year-old cheerleader's medical expenses surpass the $189,000 mark.
On Sunday, the family—who live in Prosper, Texas—said in an update posted to the Facebook group "Makayla's Fight" that the teen had another "low key weekend day" at the rehab facility where she is currently undergoing several forms of therapy.
"Huge praise... In therapy today, Mak sat up all by herself!!! Look at her go!" the family said.
The Nobles also said that they had been receiving numerous questions about why the injured teen was scheduled to come home relatively soon after her injury.
Makayla Noble suffered a severe spinal cord injury on September 20 while tumbling, which left her paralyzed from the chest down and unable to mover her hands.
The teen spent more than three weeks in hospital in Plano, Texas, before being transferred to a rehabilitation facility.
In a previous update, the family announced that Noble would be able to go home before Thanksgiving.
Addressing the question of why Noble was coming home so soon after her injury, the family said "every spinal cord injury is different." The teen will soon be able to return to the family home in Prosper, although she will be doing daily therapy sessions in nearby Dallas for several weeks.
She will then return to the rehabilitation facility once she is out of her brace to begin the second phase of her recovery.
The family also wished the nearly 50,000 members of the Makayla's Fight group a happy Halloween while revealing how the 17-year-old had spent the holiday in the rehab facility.
"Mak enjoyed passing out candy to all the people on her floor," they said in the update. "Mak loves being in her Disney pajamas. If you know this girl, she loves everything Disney so these pajamas bring her joy!"
The family has received an outpouring of support as news of the teen's story spread. The GoFundMe page set up by the family friend has received more than 2,200 separate donations. Several people or organizations have donated more than $1,000 to the fundraiser.
"Thank you again for all your concerns, we appreciate the love, support and prayers!" the family said in Sunday's Facebook update.
Uncommon Knowledge
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About the writer
Aristos is a Newsweek science reporter with the London, U.K., bureau. He reports on science and health topics, including; animal, mental health, and psychology-related stories. Aristos joined Newsweek in 2018 from IBTimes UK and had previously worked at The World Weekly. He is a graduate of the University of Nottingham and City University, London. Languages: English. You can get in touch with Aristos by emailing a.georgiou@newsweek.com.
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