A car wreck left her paralyzed. She was moved to tears by her Tri-City homecoming

Aug. 24--PASCO, Wa. -- Pasco, WA

There were tears, hugs and a big welcome home for Danika Whitsett on Wednesday night at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco.

The first to greet Danika when she rolled through the gate doors in her wheelchair was her grandfather Dave Whitsett, with grandma Ginger not far behind.

Her grandmother Joan Cunnington of Walla Walla also had a lot of love to shower on her granddaughter.

The three grandparents had not seen her since she was home from Grand Canyon University for Christmas break.

Joining her family at the airport were dozens of friends and the Tri-Cities Prep High School football team.

"It's crazy," Danika said of the welcoming. "I did not expect this. My dad said it was just going to be family. He didn't want me to be too overwhelmed. I love seeing all my family and friends. I love this environment, and the cooler weather."

The 2016 graduate was in a serious car accident about six weeks ago that left her a paraplegic.

But the smile on her face was one she's had through several surgeries and weeks of painful physical therapy.

"She's only cried for 15 seconds about not being able to walk again," said her dad Dan Whitsett, who is Tri-City Prep's football coach. "There have been other tears because of pain, but that's it."

Danika, 20, was accompanied home -- which entailed two flights -- by family friend Treana Meginnis, who is a certified medical assistant.

"It was quite an adventure," Meginnis said. "We learned new things. We didn't know what to expect."

The road to recovery

Danika's life changed July 13.

She was asleep in an SUV when its driver, Rametrius Walker, lost control and rolled it about 40 miles outside of Phoenix.

Danika was thrown from the car, and had several broken bones and more.

After spending 11 days at Abrazo West Campus Hospital in Goodyear, Arizona, she was transferred to Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital in nearby Surprise.

Before she left Wednesday, she received a certificate of achievement at Cobalt for Outstanding Effort and Graduation for Inpatient Rehab.

She also left the staff in tears.

"I am feeling so much better," Danika said. "I still have a lot of pain, but the pain keeps getting better. Today I sat up for 12 hours. Before my best was 6 1/2."

She also has been able to ditch the neck brace she's had since Day 1.

"I feel like I can breathe better," she said. "It limited my range of motion."

While Cobalt staff recommended 30 more days of inpatient rehab, the insurance company denied the request, despite documentation from Danika's doctors and therapists.

Appeals went nowhere. Danika will continue outpatient therapy at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

"We will continue our goal for maximum recovery and independence," Dan Whitsett wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday morning. "To begin a new chapter of goals and ambitions. To live in every moment and experience a full life every day."

But that doesn't mean he is giving up when it comes to standard care for those in need.

"My new ambition as an advocate is in the very early stages, and I plan to further educate myself to make a difference," he wrote.

It takes a village

Not long after Danika's friends Rachel Armijo and Taylor Zavala found out about the accident, they started a GoFundMe page, which has raised almost $25,000.

While the Whitsett family home is being renovated with a ramp and an ADA-compliant bathroom, Danika's staying elsewhere. Dan Whitsett said the improvements should take a couple of weeks.

"I have good people," he said.

When Dan Whitsett was in Arizona, Dan Underwood of Kennewick offered up his condo for a place for him to stay, and the football team did its part while its coach was away.

Several of the players mowed and weeded Dan's lawn while he was gone for more than a month.

"The whole team took care of my dad," Danika said. "I appreciate that."

Annie Fowler: 582-1574; @tchicequeen

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