'A long road for recovery': Girl injured at Hilliard 4th of July parade still hospitalized
The happy-go-lucky girl seriously injured at the Hilliard Independence Day Parade remains in the hospital.
Allie Harris, 7, was riding a float attached to a trailer during the parade Tuesday morning. She stepped off the float and was hit by the trailer near Main and Franklin streets. She was immediately taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital, according to Hilliard officials.
As of Thursday afternoon, Harris was responsive but still in critical condition. She suffered significant trauma to her lungs and more than 15 fractured bones, including trauma to her head and face. She was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday to evaluate spinal trauma.
"It's going to be a long road for recovery," said Jamie Berning, a friend of the Harris family. "There were a lot of moments where doctors were concerned that the injuries were life threatening."
Berning first connected with the Harris family three years ago, when she and her family moved to Cross Creek Village. Berning and Allie's mother, Lauren, have since grown close. So have their daughters, Allie and Leah.
Standout among Allie's many warming qualities, Berning said, are her social butterfly persona and family-first mindset.
"Allie's an incredible child," Berning said. "She says 'hi' to people in the supermarket. She says 'hi' to everyone."
"Her family is the most important thing in the world with her," Berning said.
Support for Harris can be shown through greeting cards, which can be sent through the Nationwide Children's Hospital website.
The Harris family does not want money to be the focus of community conversations regarding support efforts for them. But, Berning said donations made to the family through a GoFundMe page will go a long way in aiding a recovery process that could last months.
Hilliard police continue to investigate the incident but are not pursuing criminal charges.
"According to our preliminary investigation, this was a terrible accident," Police Chief Michael Woods said. "We remain in contact with the family and will be keeping them in our thoughts over the coming months of recovery."
JNimesheim@dispatch.com
@JackNimesheim
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hilliard Independence Day parade: Injured girl, 7, still in hospital
