Hear from Abbie’s mother on her recovery and return to school, Tuesday at 6 p.m. on 24 Hour News 8.
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) — About 1.5 years after gunfire nearly took her life, Abbie Kopf is returning to public school.
Abbie, now 15, will attend Harper Creek High School for two to three hours a day, according to her mother. The teenager hopes to take classes five days a week.
Abbie won’t be alone. During the beginning of the year, she will have a personal assistant with her at all times to ensure she has all the support she needs, her family says.
Abbie was one of two survivors of the Feb. 20, 2016 shooting rampage in and around Kalamazoo. Six other victims lost their lives, including family friend Barbara Hawthorne, who died after telling paramedics to focus on Abbie first.
Top, left to right: Judy Brown, Barbara Hawthorne and Mary Jo Nye. Bottom, left to right: Mary Lou Nye, Rich Smith and Tyler Smith.
Since then, Abbie has been through multiple surgeries, including two to insert a plate to replace a part of her skull that was shattered by a bullet.
Abbie’s mother says her daughter’s been suffering severe headaches almost daily, but she hasn’t had any recent seizures.
You can follow Abbie’s progress on the family Facebook and GoFundMe pages.