Redmond High School (RHS) cheerleaders and their families raised around $5,600 for the Jessica Follett Fund with a May 2 spaghetti feed and silent auction.
“I loved that so many people came,” said Follett’s friend and Mustang cheer teammate Brittany Polk. “It was nice to see that we live in a community that can come together to support others in need.”
Follett, a 16-year-old RHS sophomore, suffered a brain injury in a car accident on March 24 and spent two weeks in a coma at Harborview Medical Center. She’s now making excellent progress in a rehabilitation program at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
In just the past week, there has been “so much progression in her core strength, her animation, her interaction with people, her continued understanding of her surroundings and so on,” said the Follett family’s spokesperson, Ronda Thomas.
Mustang cheerleader Rachel Mullen agreed, “When she was in a coma, the days went by like months. Now that she is in rehab, she makes huge strides every day that amaze me. I am so proud of her and all the hard work she is doing. Jessie is a strong girl and she won’t let anything stop her.”
In occupational therapy sessions, Follett is able to do more on her own, such as getting dressed. In physical therapy, she’s showing considerable improvement in her strength and range of motion. To improve her speech and memory, she is playing games such as UNO.
Follett’s natural tendency “to want to succeed in all areas of her life are definitely kicking in each and every day,” Thomas added.
Before the accident, the teen practiced cheer and dance skills seven days a week at RHS or at Galaxy Cheer in Redmond.
Doctors have said that her strength, athleticism and athletic mindset appear to be pushing her toward recovery much faster than they had anticipated. There is no guarantee but it’s possible that she could go home by the end of May.
Her friends are ready to celebrate at Canyon’s Restaurant in Redmond when that happens.
“Finishing off the school year without Jessie … was extremely difficult. However, we knew that she was mentally with us every step of the way,” said Mullen. “She is always in our thoughts. At the (cheerleading) banquet, there was a section of the ‘end of the year’ video dedicated to her. On a table in the back of the room, there were posters for everyone to write on, that we took to her the next day. Also, in each yellow flower centerpiece on the tables, there was one pink flower, in honor of Jessie.”
So far, the RHS spaghetti feed/silent auction, along with raffles and wristbands at Galaxy Cheer and community contributions to the Jessica Follett Fund at U.S. Bank branches have netted more than $12,000 for the teen’s medical expenses.
The RHS cheerleaders plan a June 6 car wash at the Redmond Athletic Club to continue the fundraising efforts.
For information, contact RHS Cheer Boosters president Deena Polk at deenapolk@hotmail.com.
