Kansas community welcomes child back home after February crash

Desmond Milligan · August 18

The video above aired on Friday, Aug. 15.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (KSNW) – A Kansas girl is now recovering at home after spending months at the Children’s Mercy Hospital.

In February, Elise Smith and her parents were involved in a crash in Cowley County after another driver had entered their lane. Elise suffered a traumatic brain injury.

On Tuesday, Elise was welcomed home with help from local first responders.

After six months, her mom said that while it has been the toughest time of their lives, she’s just glad her daughter is alive.

“I was not going to give up on her. Because I know how strong she is, our strong faith has kept us going and believing that there is more than what they see. She’s not just a textbook patient. She is our daughter who has fight,” Elise’s mom, Alexis Smith, said.

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The Smiths say it has been a long journey, and they will continue to lean on each other in the days ahead.

“You know, we’re getting her up and out of bed and getting her back into her family because there was months that they could not come and see her because of all of the hospital restrictions, and it was only allowed to be Josh (Elise’s father) and I and her siblings,” Alexis said. “As far as, like, you know, taking care of ourselves, just trying to find those little moments that we have when she’s, you know, comfortable to just kind of come back together and, and making sure that we’re, you know, talking on how we’re feeling.”

The Smiths were escorted home by the Arkansas City Fire Department and Winfield Fire/EMS.

“Probably the most joy I have felt in six months, to be honest, is to finally be back at home with our full family,” Alexis said.

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