An 11-year-old victim of the Wisconsin Christmas parade rampage is clinging to life on a ventilator.
In the afternoon of Sunday, November 21, a red SUV suddenly plowed into dozens of people at a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six and injuring at least 62.
The six victims who were killed in the tragic event have been identified as Wilhelm Hospel, 81, Virginia Sorenson, 79, LeAnna Owen, 71, Tamara Durand, 52, and Jane Kulich, 52, and Jackson Sparks, 8.
Eleven-year-old Jessalyn Torres, who is still unconscious following the ordeal, spent Thanksgiving in the hospital, breathing with the aid of a ventilator, her mother revealed in an interview with The New York Post.
Brooks, 39, is the suspected driver of the vehicle and was taken into police custody after allegedly plowing into the crowd. Earlier this week, he was charged with five counts of intentional homicide. He is being held without bond.
Jessalyn is one of nine children who sustained injuries when the driver suddenly rammed into the crowd at a Christmas parade. She is receiving treatment at Children’s Wisconsin Hospital.
"No mother should ever go through this. This is a very traumatic ordeal," her mother, Amber Kohnke, told the outlet.
"The hardest part was not being with everyone and Jessalyn, in the condition she is, was not able to be with her family either," she added.
In a Thanksgiving message to her loved ones, Kohnke went into detail about the pain she has experienced as her unconscious child remains in hospital several days after the crash.
"Let me say this again… she is a fighter!" Kohnke wrote in the Facebook post on November 26. "I sat here and held her hand, kissed her head and just watched and cried and told her I was so proud of her."
She added: "I know this is going to be a roller coaster but im going to end this night with the positive my baby is giving me! This girl right here is amazing.
"Love her more than words can speak along with all my other children. My heart is also with all the other dance teammates. Happy thanksgiving to everyone. [sic]"