Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SPANISH FORK -- A Spanish Fork High School cheerleader is recovering from brain surgery after a terrible accident during a basketball game Tuesday night. She and a cheerleader from Park City High School collided while tumbling during a halftime show.
"She was tumbling across the floor, and the other girl was tumbling from the other side," Spanish Fork High student Shinae Brumfield explained.
"We just heard a big crash when she hit the floor," fellow student P.J. Inoke said.
"It sounded like a football hit the ground. You could hear her skull hit the ground," Brumfield added.
Tuesday night, 17-year-old Kylee McKell was doing what friends say she did best: cheering on her team, the Spanish Fork Dons. But during her timeout tumbling pass, she collided with a cheerleader from Park City High. McKell took the brunt of the crash.
"It was really scary," Brumfield said. "She fell and hit the ground, and she had a seizure."
Principal Dave McKee said his heart dropped as he watched emergency crews working on McKell.
McKee said the school's policy is to have one school finish tumbling and leave the court before the other team begins, but a cheerleader from Park City High was confused, thought it was her turn, and ran into McKell.
"People started yelling, ‘Stop!' But it's just hard to stop someone when they're back handspringing," McKee said.
McKell suffered a traumatic brain injury, and underwent surgery Wednesday. But for this varsity cheerleader, known for her bright smile and long blond hair, it was more than the procedure that upset her.
"One of the traumatic things for her was she had to cut her hair, and she had beautiful long, blond hair," McKee said.
That's where her friends come in.
"Everybody decided to shave their heads for her because she had to have her whole head shaved," Spanish Fork High student Nate Russell said.
The entire Spanish Fork High basketball team now has the same hairdo, and word of McKell's injury has spread. McKee says he's had calls from nearly every school in the area, including Park City High. People all over the state praying for her recovery.
KSL News spoke with McKell's mother Thursday night, and she's been overwhelmed by all of the support.
Principal McKee said McKell's surgery went well. He said she has hopes of trying out for the Dixie State Cheerleading Squad, but she has a long road to recovery.
E-mail: jstagg@ksl.com
