KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Over a week later, it still brings tears to Kamari Brinson's eyes as she talks about what happened at the Chiefs rally.
Brinson separated from her mother, Jonnisha Washington, to get closer to the stage. When shots were fired, Brinson was caught up in the chaos and ran into Union Station.
Once inside, she fell down and was trampled. Unable to walk, she was forced to hide under a table.
"And as soon as I got under the table, I just started crying, 'cause I’m like, I’m not with my mom right now, like I don’t know where she’s at," Brinson said.
Washington was searching for her daughter and calling her, only to hear her scream, and then, the call dropped. Washington said she thought her daughter was dead.
"I was able to get to her just before they were putting her in the ambulance to go to Children’s Mercy," Washington said.
On Saturday, Brinson's 16th birthday, the family received MRI results and learned Brinson had torn her ACL. She never imagined she'd be immobile on this big day.
"I had to cancel all my plans and do something else," Brinson said. "I wanted to go skating, can’t do that anymore."
Washington said it's heartbreaking to see her daughter like this.
"She’s a kid, you know, she’s supposed to be enjoying herself," Washington said.
Despite the hurt, Washington is trying to remind her daughter of the good parts of that day.
"It was just blissful, it was just happiness, and it was just being a fan and just being able to have fun," Washington said. "I want her to know that it’s OK to feel how she’s feeling, however she’s feeling, but I also want her to know that life is not over."
In fact, on this day, they're celebrating life with a pink birthday cake and balloons.
"She is not going to let those crutches come between her being beautiful on her 16th birthday," Washington said.
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