The mother of a young Cleveland girl says her daughter’s recovery after being shot in the head is miraculous. Nariah Gilner finally returned home from the hospital recently, but the family is still finding unexpected challenges.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
The 7-year-old may be little, but she is the mightiest person Justice Smith knows.
“I’m special to my special mommy,” Nariah said.
Smith added, “Her name means ‘light of God.’ So she’s been special forever.”
Nariah returned home with her mother several weeks ago with a new hot pink wheelchair and a bedazzled helmet. A traumatic brain injury has affected her motor skills and memory. But for the past five months, she’s been defying doctors’ expectations.
“Basically, they were saying that she was just gone, that her heart was going to stop or I could pull the plug,” Smith recalled.
Nariah was given a slim chance of survival in late May after she was accidentally shot in the head by a younger sibling. Smith said she wasn’t even aware there was a loaded gun in her E 128th St. home at the time.
RELATED: 7-year-old girl shot in head, Cleveland Police say
You can watch more about when the shooting happened in the player below:
“It was scary, traumatic,” she said.
Her daughter pulled through the grim prognosis with her smile and positive attitude intact. Returning home has required adjustments from the entire family. They converted the main living room into Nariah’s bedroom and installed a wheelchair ramp on the front porch steps.
“The chair’s heavy, she’s heavy. I can’t carry her down the stairs, especially in the chair. It’s not safe, and my stairs are really steep,” explained Smith.
She was shocked over the weekend to find nothing but the washers from the wheelchair ramp sitting on the front porch. When the ramp went missing, she feared Nariah would miss critical medical appointments.
“I was an angry mother because she didn’t deserve it,” she said.
Shortly before News 5 arrived for an interview Tuesday afternoon, the ramp was returned. Smith said she still has questions about what happened to it for several days but is grateful to have it back.
Before it turned up, Smith said friends and strangers offered to chip in to replace it. She thinks the widespread support online may have pressured whoever had the ramp to bring it back.
“I want to thank whoever returned it,” she said.
She said the return of the ramp is a small blessing to go along with her biggest miracle: more time with her daughter.
“[She’s still] sassy and assertive,” Smith said. “She knows what she likes and what she don’t. She’s still herself.”
Nariah will need to undergo therapy and more procedures, including surgery to repair a piece of her skull removed after the shooting. Smith said ongoing medical expenses and transportation costs are adding up. If you’d like to help support the family, you can donate to an online fundraiser by CLICKING HERE.
