Injured Battery Creek High student draws support from friends, neighbors

As 16-year-old Kelli Bright recovers in a Columbia hospital from a car crash that left her paralyzed from the waist down, friends back home are planning to make her tri-level Shell Point house wheelchair accessible.

Bright, a Battery Creek High School student, was visiting a friend in Sumter when she went to Columbia to pick up another friend Wednesday afternoon. She and four others were almost back to Sumter when the SUV they were in veered off the road, clipped a culvert and rolled three times. Bright and two other passengers were thrown from the vehicle, said Bright's father, Gary Bright.

None of the three thrown from the car was wearing a seat belt. All are expected to survive but remain in serious condition at Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital, Johnson said. The two others walked away with minor cuts and bruises, she said.

Bright's injuries include a fractured skull, broken hand and collarbone, many broken ribs and a severed spine, her father said.

Nonetheless, Kelli's "spirits are just unbelievable," he said. "She's not going to let this keep her down."Support for Kelli and the Bright family has been overwhelming and is greatly appreciated, said Malissa Johnson, Bright's aunt. The family established a benefit account at BB&T to help pay for the remodeling expected to start in the coming days, she said.

"So many people have asked, 'What can I do, how can I help?' " Johnson said. "Kelli lives in a tri-level home, and it's just not accessible at all. This and a lot of prayers are the best ways people can help Kelli and her family."

Once Bright is stable enough to return to Beaufort, relatives want her to have an accessible house that still feels like home, Johnson said.

"Kelli's got such an independent spirit," she said. "We're all just kind of regrouping and looking forward and see how we can help her feel as comfortable as possible."

Johnson's husband, a former builder, is heading up the renovation with help from other family, friends and contractors. Several local businesses have offered to help, too, Malissa Johnson said.

Gary Bright has been with the Burton Fire Department for more than 20 years, first as a firefighter and now as a commission board member.

Chief Harry Rountree said the firefighters union is making a donation for the renovations, and the department will give its time.

"A lot of our guys have volunteered to help in any way they can with construction," Rountree said. "We consider them family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them."