WESTLAND, Mich. (WXYZ) — "It's comforting to know that people who care were there," said Tamara Rasheed about the teachers, parents and students who ran to help her 15-year-old niece when a hit-and-run driver left the John Glenn High School student for dead.
Aalyiah Rasheed-Wiley, a high school sophomore, was walking across Newburgh Road at Marquette Avenue when a vehicle going south on Newburgh blew through the red light, struck the teen and fled the scene. The incident happened Dec. 8.
The suspected hit-and-run driver, 28-year-old Gianna Mariah Harris of Ypsilanti, was arrested later the same day. She has been charged with failing to stop at the scene of an injury accident.
When she was first hospitalized, loved ones feared Aalyiah might not survive the catastrophic crash that left her with multiple injuries including a broken pelvis and traumatic brain injury.
Aalyiah remains at Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, where her mother remains by her side.
Ayah Rasheed said her daughter is "getting better slowly every day" and she has been right by her side.
"She has so many people by her side that love her and pray for her every day and all we want is for her to get back to her regular self," Tamara Rasheed said.
Aalyiah's mother also thanked everyone who has been able to contribute to an online fundraiser started by her sister to allow her to take time off of work and remain by her daughter's side.
"I just wanted to make sure that the finances were not something that was a burden on her," Tamara Rasheed said. "It's so much. She just didn't need the additional worry about where is this money going to come from."
Thankfully, Aalyiah has been able to respond to commands by blinking her eyes and touching her mother's arm beside her, but she has not yet been able to talk or walk.
Her aunt said people sharing stories of their own recovery from traumatic brain injuries has been encouraging as they hope for Aalyiah to be able to return to her regular life.
"It's been nothing short of miracles to see her actually communicate and come back to herself and communicate with her mom," Tamara Rasheed said. "She's rubbed her mom's arm and she's shown her emotion in her face. So those were things that we didn't know if she would be able to do it again."
"She still needs some time," the aunt added. "She's had a traumatic brain injury. So, she needs some time to respond, but we see signs that she's there."
