MINNEAPOLIS -- Allie Jeffords, a 10-year-old Willmar girl who was crushed under a sheet of ice more than three weeks ago, may return home by the middle of next week.
Jeffords has been hospitalized at Hennepin County Medical Center since Christmas Day. For much of her hospital stay Allie has been in the company of her parents, Chris and Jen, and her grandparents.
Allie was moved from intensive care to the pediatrics wing Saturday, Chris Jeffords said Wednesday afternoon. Although she's shown significant progress, Chris said she tires easily and is still having trouble with one of her legs.
"Her left side ... she's having trouble with her leg," he said.
Later this week or Monday, Allie will be fitted with a plate to cover a hole in her skull. A piece of her skull was removed shortly after the accident that occurred along the shore of Lake Minnewaska in Glenwood. Allie will likely leave HCMC a few days after the procedure.
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Despite Allie's progress, Chris said one other thing has kept he and his wife puzzled -- an outpouring of support from family, friends and complete strangers.
"We're just asking why Allison," Chris said. "There's people that are hurt everyday."
Since Allie was injured, a Web page on the caringbridge Web site has been set up. The site allows the Jeffords to keep an up-to-date log on Allie's condition as well as offering a place for people to leave short messages. Since the site was created, it has been visited more than 47,000 times with more than 1,400 messages posted.
"That caringbridge is just unbelievable," Chris said. "When we're having bad days we go look at that."
Aside from the Web support, another group of concerned mothers organized a fundraiser to raise money for the Jeffords' medical expenses. Becky DeJong and Laurie Sebey, along with their children, organized a "Rally for Allie" T-shirt charity, selling shirts with the slogan for $10 each and donating the proceeds to the family.
As if that weren't enough, Allie has received cards and teddy bears from complete strangers.
"The outpour of support has been nuts," Chris said. "There's no way we can ever repay."
Chris continued saying, "We just need to make a statement to the community," that we're happy to be a part of this community, he said about Willmar.
