Rosalina Raye Anderson spent two months and two weeks in the hospital after she was struck by a vehicle on her way to school. On Saturday, she finally came home, welcomed by the sound of sirens and a parade of cars and emergency response vehicles.
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The long-awaited homecoming included a parade organized to welcome the 18-year-old back to Laurel.
"I'm speechless honestly," Anderson said.
She said she was ready to be home with friends and family, and the welcome caught her by surprise.
"This is a surprise. I, I didn't know this would be happening," Anderson said.
Now she's hugging friends she's been missing. But just a couple of months ago, her father, Torrey, worried that she might not be able to do this again.
"We've been through the, you know, ups and downs and the near tragedies and the struggles and the recovery from struggle after struggle after struggle," Torrey said.
It was supposed to be a typical day for Raye back in September as she rode to school on her scooter for the second day of senior year at Laurel High. But she never made it to school that day.
"She was hit by a truck on her way to school. On Sept. 3," Torrey said.
Torrey was one of the first on the scene after emergency response vehicles arrived.
"When I got to the scene, there was a police officer giving her CPR on the street. And that was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life," Torrey said.
Raye was eventually flown to a Seattle hospital to continue treatment. Her father says her recovery is nothing short of a miracle.
"The surgery unit, the recovery unit, all of the units, basically. And for like two and a half months," Raye said.
Through it all, her father says her spirit never failed.
"You know, she's incredibly strong," Torrey said.
Classmate Jaya Kaufman watched the accident happen right in front of her.
"I like was hyperventilating because like seeing somebody laying there," Kaufman said.
But now, she's happy to see her friend walking again.
"Nice to have her back in Laurel," Kaufman said.
For Raye, events like this show survivors how important they are.
"Just having an amazing day," Raye said.
