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Family says girl injured in crash now able to communicate with loved ones

Posted at 5:06 PM, Sep 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-05 20:52:51-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A metro family still grieving the loss of a daughter in a wreck received a glimmer of good news about another daughter injured in the same crash.

On Tuesday, Jason Johns gave an update on Hope Johns, 5, who was seriously injured in the crash on Aug. 23 at Gregory and The Paseo.

“Life will knock you down, but you got to get up and you got to keep fighting,” Johns said Tuesday outside of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, where Hope is recovering.

Jason Johns said that doctors didn’t think Hope would be able to talk for weeks following a tracheostomy (a procedure typically used to help someone breathe with a blocked airway), but that changed Monday when Hope was able to talk. Doctors are still performing tests on Hope’s legs to determine if she will get full mobility back.

On Sunday, the family laid 8-year-old Elise Johns to rest. She died less than a week after the crash. A third child of the family, Kaden Johns, suffered a broken arm and a wrist in the crash. Jason Johns was also injured in the wreck.

“We’ve got 2 other kids who need mom and dad,” Jason Johns said. “Hope right now is fighting for recovery and we believe in a miracle for her.”

A family friend has set up a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $150,000.

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