Injured Circleville basketball player Addison Edgington making strides in recovery
Circleville freshman basketball player Addison Edgington took a major step Wednesday in her recovery from severe injuries sustained in a car crash Jan. 26, moving from the intensive care unit at Nationwide Children's Hospital to a regular room.
The family doesn't know when Edgington will be able to go home, but "doctors are amazed at how well she has come along" from injuries that include broken vertebrae and a broken jaw, her mother, Megan, said Friday.
"I’m very positive she’ll have a full recovery," Megan said. "It’s just time is going to have to be on our side – and patience, patience."
Addison Edgington, a 6-foot-2 center, was averaging 16 points and seven rebounds for the Circleville girls basketball team, which remains undefeated.
The Circleville Athletic Boosters began raising money for the family the day after the crash, with about $27,000 raised as of Thursday, treasurer Renee McIlroy said.
Megan Edgington has been providing updates of Addison's recovery on her X account, including videos of her daughter doing a box step physical therapy exercise earlier this week and walking outside on Friday, and news that a stent was placed in an artery of Addison's neck on Tuesday.
Once Addison's blood pressure stabilized, she was able to leave the ICU.
"They’ve got a medicine plan (for her blood pressure) ... and it’s been able to stay steady in like the 130s, so they were able to drop her down to a regular floor," Megan said. "They monitor (her blood pressure) a couple times a day."
Yesterday PT was good! Box steps were put in place and she’s kicking booty, but today is a big day… angiocath will be done and I have no doubt in Tiger fashion we will come out on top of this! Let’s get this win this morning and the win tonight @CvilleTigersBB @Athletics_CV pic.twitter.com/aGOfZnmB3J
— Megan Edgingotn (@crazw3) February 6, 2024
Addison's jaw is wired shut and she's wearing neck and back braces. She was given a timeline of four to six weeks for her jaw to heal and six weeks in the neck and back braces before getting rechecked to determine if she continues to wear the braces or will need surgery.
"(On Thursday), the brace man, that’s what I call him, came in because the neurosurgeon wanted part of her neck brace on the back side to be attached to the back brace to give her more stability because she is up moving and walking around better," Megan said.
Addison also is undergoing speech therapy. "Questions that are simple that she would have answered completely fast are now a little bit delayed because of that concussion that she has," her mother said.
Megan said watching her daughter's recovery has elicited "a range of emotions – frustration, anger, sadness, happiness, everything you can think of."
Sunshine therapy was the order today with the PT ! Looking good kid!! It’s the small things we take for granted that we miss the most! @AddisonEdgin00 sunshine looks good on you kid! pic.twitter.com/4nkZ5VyWxB
— Megan Edgingotn (@crazw3) February 9, 2024
The basketball team is 4-0 without Addison, improving to 19-0 overall and 12-0 in the MSL-Buckeye entering Saturday's home game against Bloom-Carroll. The Tigers are the No. 2 seed in the Southeast District tournament and play their postseason opener Thursday against the winner of Monday's game between 15th-seeded McArthur Vinton County and No. 18 Washington Court House.
If a livestream of a game is available, Addison will be watching, Megan said. Addison's twin sister, Emilea, also is on the team.
In their first game after Addison was injured, the Tigers defeated host Washington Court House 52-29 on Jan. 31. After the game, Circleville players ran to the broadcast table at the top of the bleachers and gathered in front of the camera to address Addison, who watched the game on her mother’s phone.
The Tigers are ranked fourth in Division II in the Associated Press state poll.
Donations to help the Edgington family can be made to the Circleville Athletic Boosters through Venmo at @Renee-McIlroy (Memo: Addison) or via a check made payable to the boosters.
"It’s amazing how many people have responded in their support," McIlroy said. "Initially, when we started – and we were thinking (we would raise) a couple thousand (dollars) – our booster group said, 'Well, let’s keep track of the names so (Addison) can send thank yous after.' Well, we’re on like page nine of fully listed donations that have come in."
Some donations also have been sent directly to the family, but Megan said she hadn't had time to tabulate the amount.
"I don’t even have words to express the support, the generosity … it’s mind-boggling, that’s what it is to me," she said.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Injured Circleville player Addison Edgington progressing in recovery
