Josie Lou Ratley Update: Steel-Toe Stomping Victim Shows Signs of Improvement

[Legend]

Florida middle school student Josie Lou Ratley, who was brutally beaten and kicked in the head by a fellow student wearing steel-toed boots, is starting to show signs of improvement, but remains in a medically induced coma.

Rick Freedman, the lawyer for the 15-year-old girl, says doctors at Broward General Medical Center have begun reducing the coma-inducing medication Ratley has been receiving for the last two weeks.

He says the teen is starting to move slightly in her bed.

Doctors tried weaning Ratley off the drugs last week, but had to administer them again when she developed a high fever.

Ratley was allegedly attacked by 15-year-old Wayne Treacy, March 17 in front of Deerfield Middle School, north of Fort Lauderdale.

According to investigators, the 15-year-old boy punched and stomped on Ratley with steel-toed boots. The attack was sparked by disparaging text messages from Ratley's cell phone to Treacy, according to the Broward County Sheriff's office.


Treacy is being held at a juvenile detention center on a charge of premeditated attempted murder.

Ratley was recently visited by Michael Brewer, a teen from the same school who was set on fire, allegedly by classmates.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20001750-504083.html

This is fantastic news, i really hope she pull through.

[Legend]

Ratley Out Of Bed After "Traumatic Brain Injury"

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Josie Ratley is awake. Nearly a month after being severely beaten outside of Deerfield Beach Middle School, Ratley is no longer in a coma, but she has a long road to recovery.

In a picture released Wednesday afternoon by her attorney Rick Freedman, Josie is seen in a wheelchair with her mother by her side. Doctors say Josie can't eat yet because she can't swallow so she's being fed through a feeding tube.

In a news conference Wednesday morning, Freedman opened, "Josie is now awake and doctors have conducted a series of exams and tests on her. Unfortunately, the results of that testing have confirmed their worst fears. Josie has experienced a traumatic brain injury. The area of the brain that has been most damaged is to the area that includes the ability to communicate. Josie cannot speak, Josie cannot walk and Josie has limited function in her right arm, right hand and right fingers," said Freedman.

He went on, "Josie will require extensive and long-term rehabilitative care, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Finally, Josie is scheduled to undergo surgery next Monday, April 19th."

The surgery will be to repair parts of her skull that were damaged in the vicious attack.

Pediatric surgeon Dr. David Lasko said Josie has made slow but steady and remarkable improvement since the beginning of her stay her, and described her as a "remarkable young woman."

Dr. Lasko said Josie responds physically but not verbally. "She does seem to recognize individuals. Sometimes you can tell by her vital signs and sometimes you can tell by the response on her face."

When a reporter asked Dr. Lasko if Josie was in pain, he replied, "I think she has occasional pain, as somebody who has had such a severe injury and particularly, I think she's had headaches but she's really doing well and if you see her at any given time you don't get the impression that she's in pain except for the isolated kind."

Dr. Lasko added, "With neurological injuries it is difficult to tell where the end point will be. The fact she's made such steady progress in the last couple of weeks gives us a lot of hope where she can get to."

"The people at the hospital have worked miracles with this girl," says Storm Ratley, Josie's father. Storm Ratley lives in Georgia with Josie's older brother. He says he has been at her hospital bedside everyday since learning of the attack.

Ratley says his daughter reacts when she sees television coverage of the case. As for the boy accused in the attack, Storm Ratley says, "He had to be disturbed. It all goes back to the parents. Kids don't understand the value of life and how it all can be taken away so easily."

Storm Ratley believes Josie will one day be restored to her former self and resume a promising future with her artwork. "It all depends on how well she can move that right hand. But from what I see, it's on the way."

Broward Sheriff's Deputies say 15-year-old Wayne Treacy attacked Ratley on March 17th after she sent him a text message disparaging his older brother who had recently committed suicide.

After Treacy received the text message from Ratley, he allegedly sent a text message to a friend saying he was going to kill her, according to BSO. Then he rode his bike to Deerfield Beach Middle School wearing steel-toed boots and asked a friend to point her out to him. When she did, BSO investigators say he assaulted Ratley at her bus stop, kicked her in the head with those steel-toed boots and beat her unconscious before a teacher pulled him off.

Treacy is being held in juvenile detention as prosecutors decide whether or not to charge him as an adult for first degree attempted murder. Thirteen-year-old Kayla Manson faces juvenile charges as an accomplice in the case for pointing out Ratley to Treacy.

Hilda Gotay, Josie's mom, did not attend Wednesday's news conference. Freedman said she was with her daughter in her hospital room but she wanted to thank the entire South Florida community for the outpouring of support, prayers and fundraisers that have taken place all over Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

He also explained, "Josie does have Medicaid coverage that we expect will cover a large portion of the hospital bills but we want to remind the public that any money raised for Josie will be deposited in a restricted trust account and will only be used for her medical care and expenses related to her injury, rehabilitation and future care."
http://cbs4.com/local/josie.lou.ratley.2.1631587.html

I'm glad she is back with her mom.Way to go josie.