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Loudoun Valley student in coma after car wreck
Jenny Donaldson, a rising senior at Loudoun Valley High School, has had her life put on hold after a serious car accident June 22 left her in a coma.The Round Hill resident is recovering at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital in Alexandria. She was moved there Aug. 7 after spending more than seven weeks at Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey, Pa., near where her accident occurred.
Jenny, 16, is a softball player and gymnast at Loudoun Valley.
"She was the one you depended on this past season," said her gymnastics coach Jennifer Cooper Barlow. "She was the one you could count on to put up a good score. She is such a hard worker. She'll fight through anything, no matter what."
Now Jenny's friends and family -- her mom Phyllis, sister Ashlie and dad Chris -- are hoping this fighting spirit will help her make a full recovery.
The accident happened as Jenny and a friend were being driven back from a softball tournament by her friend's father. Her friend and her father did not want their names used in this article.
The three had stopped at a McDonald's on their way home. As they were pulling out of the parking lot, an out-of-control utility truck slammed into their truck, friend Robin Bartok said.
The family dog in the front passenger seat was killed immediately. Jenny's friend and her friend's father suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were released from the hospital after several days. They have both returned home to Loudoun County.
Jenny was seriously injured and has had several surgeries. She remains in a coma.
Doctors have said she is in stage 5 or 6 of her coma, meaning she is awake and can pay attention for short periods of time, but she does not fully understand her situation.
At this point, she recognizes people when they come into the room and follows them with her eyes while they are talking, according to the Donaldsons.
Jenny also can perform simple tasks like helping to brush her teeth. She can answer questions using hand motions and can hold up a certain number of fingers when asked. She can now sit up on her own.
In a recent update on her CarePages.com account, which allows Jenny's family to relay her condition to loved ones, Phyllis Donaldson wrote:
"Today Jenny was listening to one of her favorite songs. In the past she had made up goofy motions with her hands to do when the refrain came. Today while listening to this song, she did the motions during the refrain. We all laughed -- for a moment it seemed like our old Jenny -- so we know she is in there just waiting to come out."
Jenny still has a long road to recovery, Bartok said, but her family and friends are staying optimistic and taking things day by day.
Jenny can have only a few visitors at a time, so her family is asking that anyone wishing to visit call first and make sure it is OK.
"I wish I could be with her every day," said gymnastics teammate Maura Cotter, "but it's for her own good to not have a lot of kids near her right now. I just want to be with my friend, but if this is what she needs, I'm willing to sacrifice a few weeks."
Joe Spicer, Jenny's softball coach from Loudoun Valley, said Jenny is strong and he's hoping for the best.
"She is one great kid," he said. "She is that type of person that always has a smile on her face and you're glad to see them come into the room. As a player, she is fearless. She will get in front of every ball and never worries about getting hit. We have great hopes for her recovery."
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com
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