Chapter 2: The Return Home

When she got back, the man who called the Jaws of Life and the stat flight visited Nova. Many of her friends went and saw her as well. One person who sticks out to Nova is Art Teacher Chris Jones, who is also a family friend. He has visited Nova at least five times so far.

“It means a lot to me that Mr. Jones has been with me through so much from sophomore year and he continues to be by my side during my time away from everybody,” said Nova.

At school, a dress-up day for Nova was held asking everyone to wear green, her favorite color to support her recovery. A moment of silence was held the football game the opening night for Nova, the night she first returned home.

Life now is very different for both Nova and her family. She has been unable to attend school and will be unable to cheer for the remainder of the year.

“I just want to cheer,” said Nova.

A few things Nova is missing is seeing Economics Teacher Neil Dittmer in class, driving her car and other classes like finite and speech. She is thankful for those who have reached out to her to offer their support.

“People sent care packages to me and someone wrote me a story on Hello Kitty paper, so thank you to everyone,” said Nova.

Another thing Nova misses is spending time with her pets. With her injuries, she is unable to pick them up or care for them. As a result, her dog was relocated to stay with a friend for the time being. She has felt a few other changes in her house as well.

“Life now is filled with follow up visits. It is amazing to see her growing stronger every day. She has come through so much in a relatively short amount of time. I am so grateful to have her here. She still can’t go up stairs, and we still have to be hyper vigilant of her internal injuries,” said Heather.

On Tuesday, November 15, Nova was cleared by her doctors to return to PHS — Nova officially returning the following day.