‘It can easily take your child from you’: Mom of 14-year-old struck by lightning shares message
By Anika Hope
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MERRITT ISLAND, Florida (WESH) — The mother of a teenage girl struck by lightning has a message for parents about the danger mother nature poses.
Christina Spencer’s daughter Lori is 14 years old. She’s now learning to speak again.
“Her first words were ‘yeah’ and ‘hi.’ And that’s all we got for a couple of days. And then it turned into ‘Where’s brother?'” Spencer said.
Lori is re-learning how to walk, talk and eat after she almost lost her life.
“Why did that lightning bolt hit the tree standing next to my daughter? I don’t know. It was random. It wasn’t raining. It was barely misting outside. So the ground was just wet enough,” Christina Spencer said.
When Christina Spencer was at work a half hour away, she said she learned Lori and a friend were indirectly hit by lightning.
“Her friend Eva gave her CPR. That’s probably what saved Lori’s life,” Christina Spencer said.
Lori was rushed to the hospital, unresponsive and breathing on a ventilator.
“She might have suffered a heart attack as what stopped her heart initially,” Christina Spencer said.
But now, Spencer said doctors believe she can fully recover, and the damage is reversible.
“We just got to get through the hard stuff, the painful stuff and the frustration. As a mom watching your baby not be herself or be hurt, you can’t do anything about it. That part sucks a whole lot,” Christina Spencer said.
Spencer said anyone who hears her story can help by never letting this happen to another child, if you can help it.
“Don’t take the storms in [Central Florida] for granted. Lightning is a scary, scary thing. And, you know, it can easily take your child from you, if you’re not careful,” Spencer said.
Lori’s mom said the other girl hurt in the strike suffered from fractures and nerve damage but is doing better.
She’s hopeful the girls will get to see each other soon. Her family said they are grateful for each person who has helped with medical expenses.
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