The Missouri teenager whose life appeared to be shattered when she was reduced to a twitching wreck after her head was slammed into the pavement during a March 8 fight is making strides toward recovery.
In March, a viral video showed Maurnice DeClue and Kaylee Gain fighting, with DeClue getting the better of the punches and then slamming Gain’s head into the pavement over and over.
DeClue is facing an assault charge and a hearing to determine whether the 15-year-old will be tried as an adult for her battle with the 16-year-old Gain.
Closed head injuries can last a lifetime. Glad she’s improving, but she’ll never be the same.
Kaylee Gain is walking, ‘greatly improved’ less than 2 months after having head slammed into ground near school https://t.co/6uwrmAZ2gg via @nypost
— Beri (@sniffydogs) April 18, 2024
Gain, who was in a coma for two weeks after the incident, is making unexpected progress, according to an update posted on a GoFundMe page by her father Clinton and her stepmother Jamie.
“We wanted to share an update on Kaylee’s progress. We have been truly amazed by the progress she has made in such a short time,” they wrote.
“Physically she is doing well, walking with little to no assistance but must wear a helmet for her safety as she is still missing her bone flap. That will be another surgery for her down the road,” they wrote.
“Cognitively Kaylee has greatly improved since first waking up from her coma, however, there is still a lot of work she will need to do in order to get fully back to herself prior to the incident,” they wrote.
Have you been following the Kaylee Gain story?
“Kaylee will continue to have PT/OT therapy as well speech and counseling to help her through this traumatic experience,” they wrote.
The update closed with a thanks that went beyond the donations received.
“Again, we are so grateful for the support and prayers. The power of prayer is truly seen through her recovery so far,” they wrote.
Kaylee Gain’s father reveals details of text war which led to near-fatal fight, updates recovery: ‘some days better than others’ https://t.co/029jmNebYw pic.twitter.com/0m7NefAYY3
— New York Post (@nypost) April 10, 2024
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has said that he supports trying DeClue as an adult.
“This evil and complete disregard for human life has no place in Missouri, or anywhere. I am praying for the victim. The criminal should be charged and tried as an adult,” he said, according to KRCG-TV.
Kaylee Gain is alive and awake 3 weeks after Maurnice DeClue went too far in this fight near their St. Louis, Missouri high school
Kaylee suffered a skull fracture and brain damage. She can only walk with assistance and has limited conversation abilityhttps://t.co/09d3PZH9sD
— Brendan (@BrendanMcInnis) March 30, 2024
Although DeClue’s family has painted her as the victim of bullying and a high-achieving student, Gain family attorney, Bryan Kaemmerer has said an individual with that level of smarts should have known better.
“If anything, the accused’s reported level of intelligence suggests that she was fully capable of understanding that violence of this nature would lead to the devastating injuries that Kaylee has sustained, and therefore provides a further reason why it is appropriate for her to be tried as an adult,” Kaemmerer said.
A certification hearing will be held on May 10 to determine whether DeClue will be tried as an adult, according to USA Today.
