By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
Things haven’t changed much for a young girl who was seriously injured following a collision that occurred a week ago in which she and her mother were thrown from their vehicle.
Emily Rose Elliott, 7, is still in critical condition, her principal said.
The young girl and her mother, Teasha Wall, were ejected from the vehicle Wall was driving Jan. 3 on Old Concord Road.
Troopers said Wall ran off the right side of the road and over-corrected, rolling the vehicle several times.
Neither Wall nor Emily were wearing their seatbelts.
Wall’s sister, Jammie Wale, didn’t want to speak about the extent of her niece’s injuries, but did say the young girl had surgery on Tuesday.
“She had surgery to repair her leg, she will have a tracheotomy and a feeding tube put in,” Wale said.
The tracheotomy will open up Emily’s windpipe.
Wale said Emily sustained two breaks in her right leg.
“The family is trying to be strong,” she said.
The entire family, she said, is thankful to the school system, the community and strangers who’ve prayed, sent cards and other well wishes.
Wale said the family can see that Emily is loved by people who’ve shown concern to not only Emily, but Teasha as well.
Teasha Wall has not left the hospital, she said.
Wall was taken to the hospital the day of the accident and was sometime later treated and released.
She had a concussion and some road rash, but is doing OK physically, Wale said.
Wall had just picked up Emily from the bus stop and they were leaving the area when the collision occurred on Old Concord Road near China Grove.
Wale didn’t want to discuss the specific circumstances of the crash.
Emily is described as sort of a tomboy.
“She loves being outdoors, riding her bike and playing with her brothers,” Wale said.
Emily has two older brothers, 17 and 15, as well as a stepsister, all of whom she is close to, her aunt said.
The boys are very close to their little sister and “love her to death,” Wale said.
Wale called Emily a headstrong young girl. Emily is very independent and doesn’t meet a stranger, she said.
“She’s really not a girly girl,” Wale said.
Emily is loveable, her aunt said.
There are no words, Wale said, to describe the overwhelming feeling the family has felt receiving the cards, well-wishes and other items from the Bostian Elementary School family and those in the community.
“Emily loves school and loves her friends. She loves her teachers,” Wale said.
Students have sent cards to Emily.
“Even as young as they are, you can feel the love,” she said of the cards.
Bostian Elementary School Principal Lisa Sigmon said the school has told students Emily was hospitalized and have encouraged them to write letters and make cards.
The school staff has also made cards.
“Parents right away were asking, ‘What could we do to help?’ We’ve told them to pray,” Sigmon said.
Sigmon also has taken some meals to the family at the hospital.
Members of the PTA put together a care package for the family and a couple of churches have brought prayer shawls. The school has also been sending gas cards and phone cards to the hospital for the family.
“We were also taking food to the family who weren’t able to be at the hospital,” Sigmon said.
Sigmon said Emily is still in critical condition.
Guidance counselors have been talking with students who were on the bus the day of the crash.
“The bus had to go through where the accident happened,” Sigmon said.
The school received a list of children who were on the bus that day to ensure the counselors met with them “to let them talk and see what their needs were,” she said.
The school is using this opportunity to remind students to wear their seatbelts.
“Teachers are doing that through their classes. I’ve spoken to many parents of car riders,” Sigmon said.
The school hopes to have a safety awareness week sometime in the spring to talk more about seatbelt safety.
The school has placed a love offering donation box at the school office in the event people want to drop off some money to aid the family.
Wale said the family asks people to continue praying.
“We want everybody to know how much we appreciate the prayers, donations. Everybody has gone above and beyond,” she said.
Wale said she understands the community would like to send notes and cards for Emily and the family, but doesn’t want her sister to feel bombarded. Instead, she asks that notes and other items be sent to her home.
Anyone who would like to send cards or other items, can mail them to Wale at 5930 N.C. 152 East, Rockwell, NC 28138.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.