A Montgomery County town and supporters across the country are rallying behind a young girl who continues to fight for her life after nearly drowning in a bathtub last year.
On December 8, 2015, Bridget and Brad Turner were inside their Abington Township home when they heard a loud noise in their bathroom. When they went inside they found their 7-year-old daughter Allyson unresponsive and underwater. The parents quickly administered CPR and continued to do so until medics arrived. Allyson was then taken to Abington Memorial Hospital and then airlifted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Allyson’s family says she was placed on a ventilator and put into a medically induced coma in order to preserve her brain function and allow her lungs to heal. She was also placed on an ECMO machine, which drains blood from the body, adds oxygen, removes carbon dioxide, warms the blood and then returns the blood to the artery and pumps it through the body.
As the young girl remained in a coma, her parents constantly stayed at her bedside and repeated the words, "Just fight," a phrase that would ultimately be the rallying cry for Ally’s supporters. Ally’s 11-year-old brother Liam created a t-shirt with the words, “Just Fight” on it. Soon thousands of the shirts were delivered to Abington Township residents as well as people across the nation who were following Ally’s story. A Facebook page, website and GoFundMe page were also created for the girl, gaining thousands of followers who showed their support by wearing the “Just Fight” t-shirt.
As the support for her grew, the young girl continued to fight through obstacles, including significant brain damage that was revealed in an MRI on December 19. On December 23, the Turner family received an early Christmas gift when Ally went off the ventilator and began breathing on her own. On Saturday, which marked 60 days since she was hospitalized, Ally showed remarkable improvement, according to her family, popping bubbles and using her right hand.
While Ally continues to show improvements in her recovery, her family acknowledges the fact that her future is uncertain. Yet one thing remains constant. With thousands of people in Abington and beyond in her corner, Ally will never have to fight her battle alone.
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CLICK HERE to track Ally’s continued recovery and CLICK HERE to donate to Ally’s medical expenses.
