ROWAN COUNTY, KY (LEX News) — A Rowan County family is facing a long road to recovery after a crash sent a mother and her two daughters to the hospital last week.
Amber Hamm said she was driving home with her daughters after celebrating her birthday when the crash happened on Cristy Creek Road in Morehead.
"As soon as I turned up that road, I seen headlights coming right at me and I had to try and get around it, and it just didn't go the way I wanted," Hamm said.
The crash sent Hamm and her daughters to the hospital. First responders later airlifted Hamm's daughter, Sophia Taulbee, to UK Children's Hospital in Lexington.
While one of Hamm's daughters is staying with a neighbor since the crash, Sophia remains at UK Children's Hospital recovering from a fractured skull and leg infections. The Rowan County High School freshman has already undergone multiple surgeries and is preparing for another procedure.
Hamm said one of her biggest concerns has been how the head injury could affect her daughter moving forward.
Despite those concerns, Hamm said Sophia continues to fight through her recovery.
"Ever since she got here, she has been fighting just to get better," Hamm said. "She wants to be up. She wants to be talking."
While spending the past week by her daughter's side in Lexington, Hamm said she has received support from across the Rowan County community.
Hamm works as a cook at Rowan County Middle School and has been with the school for more than a year. She said support from coworkers has helped her focus on her daughter's recovery.
"It's amazing," Hamm said. "I haven't had to worry about putting my days in. They're taking care of everything I need. They're making sure that I'm taken care of and seeing how Sophia is doing."
Hamm said the support has extended beyond the school as community members continue checking on the family and offering encouragement during Sophia's recovery.
"Everyone checking to see how she's doing, they're part of our community, so they've heard about it and they just want to know how everything's going," Hamm said.
Doctors have not given the family a timeline for when Sophia will be able to return home to Morehead. Until then, Hamm said she remains grateful for the support she has received from her hometown as her family takes recovery one day at a time.
If you want to help Hamm during this time. They currently have a GoFundMe page set to help pay for medical cost. You can find it at Fundraiser for Amber Hamm by Starla Akers : Help Support Amber and her girls after their crash.
Alex Barber is committed to covering stories in your community that matter to you. If you have an idea, reach out to him at alex.barber@wlex.tv
