Emily Martin, the 15-year-old RHHS student who was in a near fatal wreck in September, is out of the hospital and is progressing nicely, according to her mother Pam Martin.

To help the Martin family pay for mounting medical bills from Martin’s extended stay and subsequent visits, friends of the family have organized a big fundraiser which will culminate this coming Friday, Dec. 21, at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s. Martin herself is planning to be there, for her first time out in public since the accident, to draw the winning raffle tickets at 6 p.m. for the following items: a 4-wheeler donated by Futch’s Auto Sales, a guitar donated by Gene’s Guitar Emporium, window tinting donated by Jackson Tinting, $200 gift certificate to Ella’s, $25 gift certificate to Cadre Shops, $25 gift certificate to Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, $20 gift certificate to Fuji’s Japanese Restaurant and more.

Raffle tickets are currently available for $1 each at Stewart’s Spirits, next to the Timesaver in Keller, and at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s.

"We appreciate everything the community has helped us with and for all their thoughts and prayers since the accident," Pam Martin said. "We are just so blessed that she is doing so well."

Martin’s doctors are not offering a long term prognosis, but her mother said she is doing good overall, considering the severity of the accident. Martin was released from the hospital just before Thanksgiving.

Martin was re-admitted again to Memorial Hospital on Dec. 5 when the multiple fractures in her head led to spinal fluid leaking from her nose. To counteract that, Emily’s doctor surgically inserted a cranial shunt to help stabilize pressure. She reportedly is doing well from it and has a check up tomorrow.

Emily’s mother said Emily is in good spirits "except for the fact that we’ve been keeping her pretty much quarantined right now to avoid a brain infection and she misses going to school and going out with her friends."

She said Emily won’t be back to Richmond Hill High School this year. She also said Emily has been going through occupational therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy while on her road to recovery – all three are temporarily on hold since the shunt was put in though. Beyond that, Emily is walking, talking, and working toward putting her life back together, according to her mother.

In addition to the raffle, "Stay Strong Emily" bracelets, made in a tie-dye of Emily’s favorite colors, are now available to benefit the family. They are $3 at the following locations: Royal True Value Hardware Store, Plum’s, Richmond Hill Pharmacy, Cadre Shops, Ella’s, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and What’s the Scoop.

All funds raised from both fundraisers will be deposited into the Martin Family Trust Fund at Bryan Bank & Trust to help offset costs of hospital and doctor visits as well as equipment that Emily may need as she continues to recover. For further details, call Erica Birchall at 663-6464.