Contact Us ·  About Us ·  Site Map
Home  ·   News  ·   Weather  ·   Sports  ·   Grand Island  ·   HDTV  ·   My TV  ·   Community  ·   Program Schedule  ·   Calendar  ·   2008 Election
Agriculture/Business · As Seen On TV · CarSoup · CBS · Classifieds · Contests · Jobs · Lottery · Restaurants · School Closings · Find A Page
Hot Button
On Demand

School Closings 10/11 Mobile Site RSS Feeds CBS Episodes Web Alert E-News Job SearchOn Demand

Lincoln SkyView
The Road to Recovery: Alexis Verzal, Sept. 18 Save Email Print
Lincoln
Posted: 7:16 PM Sep 18, 2008
Last Updated: 10:20 AM Sep 19, 2008
Reporter: Lance Schwartz
Email Address: lance.schwartz@kolnkgin.com

A | A | A

Back in May, we first brought you the story of Alexis Verzal. Alexis was injured by a worker at a Daycare facility in College Station, Texas. She suffered what doctors called non-accidental head trauma.

Her parents are both Nebraska natives, so they decided to bring their one-year old daughter to Lincoln's Madonna Rehabilition Hospital.

In the past 5 months, their 19 month-old daughter has made tremendous strides in her recovery, literally.

Alexis has been undergoing intense therapy 5 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Erin Luebbert is an occupational therapist at Madonna,"From where we started to where we are now, she's a completely different girl. She's a lot of fun to engage with, she actively tries to get the therapists attention, no one can come into the room without her lighting up!"

Alexis' brain was essentially unplugged for two months...Which makes her recovery even more incredible, her mom says, "She's got all of her words back and she didn't talk for almost two months, she had lost everything. She has all of her words back and a ton more in her vocabulary."

In fact, she just had a test recently and they think she's actually a month ahead of a normal 19 month old in vocabulary, her dad says, "To think that she went two months without talking and went pretty much without any brain activity for two months and to be back there again already and have all of her words back and to be working forward from here, we're just blown away, we can work on the physical stuff but it's great to know the cognitive stuff is at least coming back."

As for the criminal side to this story, Brandon says the Grand Jury in Texas has indicted Dana Rene Williams and right now the district attorney and the daycare operator's attorney are talking and determining if they're going to go the plea bargain route or if they're going to take this case to trial.

More Stories
Business Owner Arrested for Theft

Buffet's Boots to Raise Funds for Research

70 Laid Off at Nebraska Trailer Plant

Charge Refiled Against Mom of Suffocated Baby

New Year's Resolutions: Volunteering

Historic Day For Nebraska Legislature

Discussion of Nebraska's Mountain Lion Population Continues

Workshops Attempt To Answer Questions Surrounding VeraSun Bankruptcy

Post Your Comments
First Name:
Location:
Enter Comments: characters left
Email (optional):
Email will not be displayed on site. For station contact purpose only.
Read Comments
Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
Posted by: Lesley Location: Texas on Sep 30, 2008 at 07:33 AM
Keep up the hard work Alexis, mom and dad. You are an inspiration to all!!

Posted by: Kathy Location: Kearney Ne on Sep 19, 2008 at 08:12 PM
Thank you so much for doing an update story on Alexis. She definitely is a miracle. God's miracle. God is powerful and so is prayer. Tiff and Brandon are such an inspiration to so many and definitely have their priorities straight. May God continue to bless them with continued recovery for Alexis.

Posted by: Desirae Location: Pierre,SD on Sep 19, 2008 at 02:27 PM
I have been watching Alexis' progress for several months. It has been an absolute miracle to watch the progress she has made!! Her parents and those who have worked with her since the day this happened all deserve credit for her miraculous recovery!! Keep it up Alexis, many people care about you and your family!!

Posted by: Rhonda Location: Nebraska on Sep 18, 2008 at 08:44 PM
What a wonderful story!!!! GOD works in mysterious ways as we have just seen!!!! Congratulations to Alexis and keep up the good work!!! Also, EXCELLANT work to Madonna!!!!!!

What's On KOLN/KGIN
CarStar
National News Video-AP