A Wortham High School student is working to walk across the stage and pick up her diploma after just three months ago her leg was amputated.
Kateley Beth Craig was headed home after a long day of school and waiting tables. Driving home during a storm, her truck and began to hydroplane.
“I hit a big patch of water and lost control and flipped three or four times,” Craig said.
When Craig regained consciousness was in the paramedics. A stranger had found her on the side of the road in the freezing rain with severe injuries.
Family members gathered around when doctors shared the news that they had to amputate Kateley’s foot. Rhonda Craig, Kateley’s mother recalls a conversation the family had in the hospital after the accident.
“[The doctor] said, ‘now Kateley we did have to amputate part of your foot.’ And she said,
‘Ok.’ And her daddy said,
‘Do you understand what he's telling you?’ And she said,
‘Yeah he did what he had to do to save my life.’” Rhonda said.
According to Kateley, doctors told her there needed to be substantial work done to save her leg. The process would include months of surgeries and skin grafts.
Given the possibilities of using prosthetics, Kateley said she told her doctors, "Cut it off, I told doctors cut it off I’m ready to go."
Kateley currently walks using crutches but is completing physical therapy to regain balance. As she began to work for a new normal she set a goal.
"My goal before graduation is, of course, I want to walk across the stage it's the main thing. I'm ready to walk it's been three months." Kateley said.
Not only is Kateley looking forward to the big day- her family says that the community that rallied around her is too.
“It will be a hard day, a good hard, we’ll have boxes of tissues.” "She's got everybody telling her I better get an invitation and I’ll be there"
Kateley’s father, Kelly Craig, says she is attending EMT school and hopes one day to be a flight medic on a helicopter.
“You know just being able to help people that maybe give back since so many people have helped her,” Craig said.
Kateley will graduate as salutatorian from Wortham High School next Sunday.
Copyright KXXV 2016. All Rights Reserved.
