FARMINGTON, Utah — Ask Skye Siddoway's family and they'll describe her as a bright and bubbly, free-spirited person who loves to be outside. A 17-year-old student at Farmington High School, Siddoway is a star athlete.
"She actually broke her own school records for the mile, the 800M and the 3200M," her aunt, Genevieve Gribble, said proudly.
But a little over a week ago, the unthinkable happened when Skye fell about 30 feet from a tree at Farmington Regional Park and was airlifted to Primary Children's Hospital where she now faces a long road to recovery.
"[Skye] had three brain bleeds, she had a large hematoma, she had lots of scratches and bruises, a big gash on the back of her head and that started the about 36 hours of really just trying to get the swelling in her brain stabilized," Gribble shared, adding that her niece also suffered an acute brain injury.
Doctors are not sure what the injuries mean for her physical abilities, personality and brain function going forward, but there have been some good signs for far.
"She is moving," Gribble explained, "so she has made some movements, moved her arms, moved her legs. Today was the first day she did physical therapy, and physical therapy was sitting up, they sat her up, she's still intubated and her eyes were closed for the most part, but they have her hold a ball and they try to get her to follow directions.
"She said mom."
Gribble said the community has been rallying for the family as Skye's mom, Mary, is a single mother. People have been pitching in, taking turns at the hospital and donating meals, while also wearing sky blue for the teen and making posters with messages.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise money for Skye's recovery.
"We've gotten a lot of support and just people praying for Mary, for Skye, for the family," Gribble said.
Skye isn't out of the woods yet, so her family is just taking things one day at a time, with her aunt hoping she'll be back smiling on the track soon enough.
"It's a miracle she's alive," she said.
