Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- A 17-year-old high school track star, Lina Weiers, was hit by a car in Morgan.
- She sustained serious injuries, with doctors giving her a 3% chance of walking.
- Community support and prayers are aiding her recovery, with an online fundraiser launched to help the family.
MORGAN — A 17-year-old track star is hospitalized with serious injuries after being hit by a car while riding her bike. Friends, family and community members are rallying around the teen, hoping for a miracle.
Lina Weiers just finished her junior year at Morgan High School and was riding her bike to work when she was hit on May 25. The accident happened around 8 a.m. on Old Highway Road in Mountain Green, Morgan County, near Lee's Marketplace where she works. According to a family friend, Lina's head hit the windshield and she was thrown 20 feet, damaging the C5/C6 vertebrae in her neck.
"Miraculously, she was conscious (when emergency crews arrived) and has no apparent brain damage," said family friend Michele Wilkinson.
Lina underwent surgery that day to temporarily decompress her spine and another to take a piece from her hip bone to use as a permanent stabilizer for her neck. "The doctors are giving her a 3% chance of walking again," she said.
The prospect of not being able to walk again is devastating to Lina, who runs sprints and hurdles on her high school track team and who recently placed at the Utah state track meet in her first year trying hurdles. Wilkinson said that while this is extremely difficult news to swallow, they believe in a God of miracles.
"Although this is a terrifying statistic, the family is praying for a miracle and knows God has Lina in his care," Wilkinson said. Other families who've experienced similar tragedies have reached out to the Weiers family, giving them hope.
"Right now she has feeling in her legs up, about her mid thigh, but no movement yet," Wilkinson said. "She can move her arms at the shoulder, elbow and wrist, with slight movement in the fingers, as well. That's all very hopeful. She needs to regain feeling in her core if she will ever walk again, so we are all praying hard for that."
There have already been experiences the family describes as miraculous, including an off-duty doctor being the first to respond to the scene in Morgan, followed by an emergency medical technician who was a family friend and could identify Lina and contact her parents.
"I can't begin to explain the feelings a parent goes through when you get this phone call," Tasha Weiers, Lina's mom, wrote in a social media post. "It's a parent's worst nightmare. … But we know we serve a powerful, BIG God who can perform miracles. We have already seen so many miracles. We have hope and faith that miracles will continue to happen. We have a long road ahead of us, but we will continue to jump over each hurdle that comes our way.
"Lina is a fighter. She didn't learn how to run hurdles this year for nothing; now is her time to shine."
The family says an investigation into the accident is ongoing, but they truly believe it was a tragic accident.
"I know the family is praying for (the driver) as well," Wilkinson said. "He was not injured, but they know he is overwhelmed by it all. The family is grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers from their families, church, community and even strangers.
"They know they don't fight alone and are simply amazed at how many people have reached out."
Lina is one of nine children, and a GoFundMe account* has been set up to assist with medical bills and support the Weiers family during this difficult time.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited into the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
