Girl hit on her way to school shows improvement

AUBURN, Wash. — A little girl who was hit by a car on her way to school last week is improving. Illa Nichols, 11, has been upgraded from critical condition to serious condition at Harborview Medical Center.

Illa is still in the ICU, but her mother told KIRO 7 that her breathing tube has been removed.

%

%

"She has opened her eyes a little bit, going in and out. She's not fully awake," said Jennifer Nichols, Illa's mother.

The little girl could soon be moved to a different floor. When doctors were examining Illa at one point over the weekend, her mother said she gave a thumbs up.

That is giving her family hope.

"She's a fighter, she's like me. She won't give up," said Ken Nichols, Illa's father.

The girl is suffering from a traumatic brain injury and is still unconscious.

The Nichols family was told that Illa will eventually be moved to Seattle Children's Hospital, where she will need care for the next 6 to 12 months.

Nichols was hit in front of Camelot Elementary School in Auburn on her way to Kilo Middle School. Her brother witnessed the crash.

Investigators think it was an accident. They said the girl darted into the road, and the angle of the sun likely made it hard for the driver to see her.

Nichols' family also believes that it was an accident and doesn't blame the driver.

The 17-year-old who hit Nichols lives next door, and the families are friends.

The driver and her family have been at Harborview supporting Illa and the Nichols family. Cynthia Boyd is the driver's mother. The two mothers are going through this together and hugged outside the hospital.

"Both of our daughters are struggling right now," said Cynthia Boyd. "It just helps that' we're supporting each other and loving each other."

"My daughter has every doctor in the world helping her and her daughter has just us," said Jennifer Nichols, Illa's mother.

Illa's brothers are getting support from the community by making shirts and bracelets with the phrase #IllaStrong.

"She is a social butterfly. Illa loves the world," said Jennifer Nichols.

"She likes to dress up and be a princess. At the same time she'll get her hands dirty," said Ken Nichols.

Update below from Tuesday, Sept. 27. Illa is out of the ICU. She's been able to say her name and walk with the help of a physical therapist.

Cox Media Group