The eventing community continues to support Kailey Giancola, the 25-year-old eventer who suffered a severe brain stem injury on Dec. 16, with our whole hearts. Kailey has been in rehabilitation since mid-January, bravely fighting each and every day to strengthen herself physically and mentally — a battle made all the more difficult, and lonely, by quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wednesday, June 17, is Kailey’s 26th birthday — let’s rally around her and let her know that we’re still cheering her on. Please send a video message to Laura Welsh ([email protected]) to be shared with Kailey tomorrow. Happy birthday, Kailey! Keep kicking. We know you will.
Kailey Giancola and Saturday Night Clive in the Virginia Horse Trials International CCI2*-L in October 2019, where they finished 11th. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
A message from Laura:
Hey everybody,
I want to begin by reiterating absolute appreciation for the outpouring of support for Kailey Giancola following her tragic fall in December that resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury and her subsequent coma.
Today marks six months since Kailey’s accident.
Tomorrow is Kailey’s 26th birthday.
Kailey is currently still residing at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, a rehabilitation hospital specialized in traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.
It would be the most amazing gesture if each and every one of you that feel moved to action could make a video message that she could watch tomorrow on her birthday to know she has an entire world of support behind her.
COVID has created unprecedented difficulties in all of our lives, and for Kailey it meant a long period of time where she was alone without even family allowed inside the hospital. Thank goodness she now has her mother living in the hospital by her bedside again, but she is not allowed any other visitors because of the associated risks. This has undoubtedly been a very lonely time.
Kailey’s journey has been a long and arduous uphill climb, but in true Kailey fashion she has continued to defy the odds and make progress towards recovery.
Kailey has been able to answer yes and no questions with red and green buttons and also with a yes/no protocol the therapists have established, she has demonstrated functional object use, and she has moved both sides of her body on command among many other amazing feats — including on one occasion the most triumphant thumbs up I have ever witnessed.
Kailey is here.
Her fight continues.
Hope is ever present.
Please let Kailey know we are all here cheering for her recovery.
Please send videos to my inbox and I will make sure that Kailey’s mother receives them so that she can spend her entire birthday tomorrow wrapped in love.
Let’s make sure Kailey knows she is not alone.
With much gratitude 🙏
#prayersup
#RideForKailey
