‘She doesn’t deserve this’: 11-year-old girl paralyzed by stray bullet in her KC bedroom

Stancy Reddick, 54, remembers decorating her granddaughter’s pink, purple and white room with a unicorn theme. Reddick and her daughter Lakesha Reddick, 29, wanted to create the perfect room for Lauren Reddick, 11.

On the evening of Nov. 1, around 9 p.m., Lakesha Reddick was in her Kansas City home getting her three children ready for bed and school the next day.

Lauren, the oldest, was in her room preparing for bed, when suddenly, the sound of gunfire permeated the house. Lakesha was in the back room with her youngest children, Leeyah, 5, and London, 2, when the shots rang out.

After cars sped off outside, Lakesha heard a loud cry. She ran to her daughter’s room and found her lying on the bedroom floor, injured by gunshot wounds that allegedly came from two vehicles firing at each other on the street outside.

Kansas City police confirmed they responded to the shooting in the 7900 block of Hickman Mills Drive around 9:30 that evening, where they found a girl inside the home who was taken to taken to a hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries,” according to police. A police spokesperson said Friday the investigation is ongoing.

Just over a week after Lauren celebrated her 11th birthday on Oct. 22, she was struck by bullets. Nine days later, Lauren is still in the hospital trying to recover.

Lauren’s team of doctors met Thursday and concluded that, “Lauren may never walk again because of the bullet that hit her spine,” her grandmother, Reddick, told The Star in a shaky voice.

‘She’s a fighter’

Lauren, who loved to dance, now spends her days lying in a hospital bed, at times waking in the middle of the night crying.

Her grandmother went to check on her after hearing the life-changing update from doctors. When Reddick walked into the room, Lauren caught her by surprise, encouraging her saying, “Grandma, I’m still alive.”

Reddick was touched by her granddaughter, who she calls a “fighter.”

According to her grandmother, Lauren came out of the womb fighting for her life, weighing only two pounds.

“Lauren was born a preemie. She had a struggle from day one and she pulled through that and lived. Lauren was able to beat the stereotypes of being born premature. She survived that, and this incident here,” Reddick said proudly.

While Lauren continues to fight, her grandmother has noticed that her daughter, Lakesha, is grappling with the trauma.

“My daughter is having a very hard time with what she’s having to go through with her daughter,” Reddick said. “It was to the point where I was thinking she may have to see her primary care physician to keep her calm.”

The shooting has also left Lauren’s younger siblings shaken. Leeyah, 5, recently had a breakdown, begging for her big sister. Lauren’s younger siblings are used to her being around, taking on big sister tasks. Helping her mother care for her siblings is something Lauren loves, her grandmother said.

Lauren also enjoys spending quality time in the kitchen with her grandmother, baking brownies and cookies.

Amidst the storm, Reddick finds solace in her faith and family.

“I’m being strong for my daughter and my granddaughter, and my strength comes from God. That’s who I draw my strength from, and also family,” she said.

‘Far too common’

The Reddick family moved from Kansas to Missouri less than a year ago. With the recent incident, Reddick’s daughter no longer sees a future for herself and her family in the city.

The shooting has ruined what the Reddick family once called a home. Lauren’s grandmother remembered buying Lauren a vanity set for her fairytale room.

“It was comfortable for her and exactly what a girl would like,” Reddick said.

Now, the house is a nightmare. Lauren can’t bear to ever step foot into her room again.

She told her grandmother, “I don’t want to go back to that house.” Reddick comforted Lauren, alleviating any worry by saying, “Sweetheart, you don’t ever have to go back.”

As her family attempts to cope, Reddick wants the community to know that something must be done about gun violence.

“We have to do something because Lauren is not the first child that has to deal with this,” she said. “It’s far too common that children are getting caught into this, (violence) and Lauren doesn’t deserve what has happened to her.”

An employee from the hospital has created a Gofundme page to support Lauren Reddick and her family.

This story was originally published November 10, 2023 at 7:51 PM.