Family Struggling To Make Mannford Home Ready For Girl Disabled In Crash

It's been nearly two months since a Creek County woman was killed when her car was hit while she was pulling out of her driveway onto a busy highway.

Her daughter was also seriously injured, but the little girl is about to come back home.

Now, James Byard spends most of his days helping his 12-year-old daughter, Lauren, at The Children's Center in Bethany.

"It's amazing. It's a miracle. She went from being told she'd be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life, to she's trying to walk, she's trying to talk, she's answering questions," James said.

This all started when the car Lauren was riding in with her mom was hit by another vehicle on Highway 33 in Creek County. She and her younger brother were critically injured. Her mother was pronounced dead at the scene.

4/10/2013 Related Story: Woman Killed, Three Children Hurt In Creek County Wreck

Lauren was originally getting treatment at a Tulsa hospital, but after two weeks she was transferred to The Children's Center.

"Her outcome is looking very wonderful and it will continue to get better," James said.

Lauren spends hours doing physical and occupational therapy with her nurses. She's on track to go home in a few weeks, but there's one thing overshadowing this milestone.

"She will come out of here needing a clean environment, clean living space, a different kind of bathroom--handicap accessible," James said.

The family lived in a Creek County mobile home before the accident.

"He was in the process of fixing it up, and we don't think it's sanitary enough at this time for her situation," said Lauren's grandmother, LaDonna Byard-Vanzant.

She said the house is cramped and there's no central air.

"It leaks. We found that out, that it leaks when it rains bad. We need a new roof, if nothing else," LaDonna said.

James has put work on hold to care for his daughter. Because of that, he does not have money to fix his house and he has no idea where he will take his daughter when she's released from the hospital.

Lauren's younger brother, who was hurt in the accident, was left blind in one eye, but otherwise, he is doing just fine.

A fund is set up for the Byard family at First Baptist Church at 229 South Ohio Avenue, Drumright, OK 74030.