THURSTON – The Merritts are making a big move.
If all goes as planned, Thurston High School junior wrestling and rodeo star Teagan Merritt will be flown to Chicago on Thursday, where she will be transferred to the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, one of the nation’s top rehabilitation hospitals for severe brain and spinal-cord injuries.
A crash on Nov. 15 in front of the Merritts’ residence left Teagan in critical condition, with multiple broken bones and a serious brain injury. Her mother, Gina, who is accompanying Teagan on the flight, said her daughter is making tremendous progress but is still pretty exhausted most of the time. Teagan’s prognosis remains difficult to predict. Doctors say that brain trauma patients typically require anywhere between two months and two years to fully recover, depending on several variables.
At any rate, Teagan – who finished fourth in Class 5A in the state as a sophomore last year after placing sixth as a freshman – will be in the best of hands as she begins her rehabilitation.
Teagan’s father, Zion Cosby, posted a picture on Facebook of Teagan’s white Ford F-150 pickup truck driving away. He said he envisioned a similar picture of Teagan taking off to college, but instead, they were taking the car back to a consignment lot so they won’t have to make any more payments.
The family is grateful to the Thurston community and everyone who reached out to help with Teagan’s medical expenses.
