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Girl hit by car in Worcester in July finally wakes from coma
The family reports that she still has a long way to go in recovery.
After being struck by a car while crossing a street in July, a 13-year-old girl has awoken from a lengthy coma and is ready to start rehab.
Ayuen Leet, who was hit when attempting to cross Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, was discharged from an intensive care unit on Monday, according to the GoFundMe page set up for the family. She has now transferred to rehab.
“She still has a long road ahead, and her family is so grateful for the love and support from the community,” the GoFundMe page reads.
Leet’s parents and four siblings have been at her side throughout the more than three weeks she was unconscious, the Telegram & Gazette reported.
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One of the first things Leet asked for when she woke up was candy, but since she couldn’t eat yet, it would have to wait, her older brother Jok Leet told the paper.
“We are happy and hopeful,” said Jok Leet to the Telegram.
Leet is a student at the African Community Education (ACE), a nonprofit that aims to empower African refugees and immigrant youth through educational, leadership, and cultural programming.
The group said Leet is a rising seventh grader who attends ACE’s after-school, summer, and reading programs. She and her family emigrated from South Sudan to Massachusetts a little over a year ago.
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ACE started an online fundraiser for Leet that raised over $15,000, just shy of its $20,000 goal.
“We are so thrilled that Ayuen is awake and communicating with her family,” ACE posted on Facebook on Tuesday. “She is such a light in our community.”
Earlier this summer, Worcester officials declared a “traffic violence emergency” following three serious crashes involving young pedestrians, including Leet’s.
As of Aug. 1, the city has had more than 2,800 motor vehicle crashes in 2024.
The city is accelerating a plan set forth by Worcester’s Department of Transportation and Mobility to combat the high number of car crashes.
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