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Family calls it ‘miracle' that teen is walking after tree crushed her

A 15-year-old from Port Orchard is getting ready to go home from the hospital just days after she was crushed by a tree.

Caitlin Shaw was in critical condition when she was admitted on Monday night.

A tree had crashed into her bedroom while Caitlin was taking a nap during a storm.

Just two days later, Caitlin was walking and talking.

Her mother calls her recovery a miracle.

“I am so proud of her. She’s such a strong young girl,” Naisy Shaw said.

Shaw said her daughter, who’s a sophomore at South Kitsap High School, could not remember the accident.

Her 8-year-old brother, Jordan, who was in the bed next to her, had feared the worst.

“I thought she was dead,” Jordan said. “I wanted to help my sister but there was so much stuff on her.”

The family’s home was damaged to the point where it’s no longer safe to live in.

Friends and family have started GoFundMe pages to help Caitlin and her family with medical expenses and other needs.

So far, they have raised more than $7,000.

After the tree fell onto the family's home near Arnold Avenue and Beach Drive just before 5 p.m. on Monday, the teen was taken to Tacoma General Hospital with serious injuries.

The tree likely fell over because of strong winds sweeping through the region, according to authorities.

Sustained winds of 25 to 40 mph are expected, and some wind gusts were recorded as high as 60 MPH.

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