Utah Teen Receives Grand Homecoming After Enduring 20 Surgeries

A Utah teen receives grand homecoming after enduring 20 surgeries. She had both her legs amputated after she got hit head-on by a drunk driver.

On July 30, Sarah Frei was with her three friends driving when a drunk driver suddenly hit their car. Because of the accident, her legs had to be amputated, so she had to undergo rehab. When she was allowed to go home, the hospital gave her a surprise homecoming parade.

Receives farewell parade

On October 14, doctors, nurses, physical therapists from the Craig H. Nielsen Rehabilitation Hospital gave her a farewell parade. University of Utah cheerleading squad also gave her a warm send-off after she endured 20 surgeries.

Apart from that, the 17-year-old girl got treated to a welcome home parade with a police escort. Frei told TODAY that she had no idea that many people would come to welcome her. She felt it was awesome to see friends, family, and neighbors all lined on the street to support her.

People from all over the world followed her story on the Instagram account her family set up for her. It is where the family shared updates about Frei's story. It already has over 59,000 followers who cheer on the teen.

Positive outlook

Amy Frei, Sarah's mom, shared that strangers give comments saying how her daughter has inspired them. Followers are happy to see Frei's smile and outlook on life. On one of the posts, Frei explained to her aunts the tragic incident, but she noted that there is nothing she could do about it.

The way she controls her attitude and how she reacts is a good lesson for everyone to hear, as written in her post.

The teen's homecoming dance date and two of her friends picked her up in September. They did not want her to miss out on the evening, so they dressed up as they wore masks before taking her.

While in the hospital, Frei learned a dance created by her fellow cheer squad for her. She put on her uniform and joined her squad with a big smile on her face one day after being released.

Performing after two and a half months

Frei's mom said it was incredible to see her daughter performing after only two and a half months. She noted that they did not know if her child would make it for a few weeks. She believed that it was a miracle to see her daughter perform with her team.

Now, Frei is determined to make the most of her senior year as she does virtual learning from home. She wants to attend college to become an elementary school teacher after she graduates from high school.

Amy explained that Frei has such a positive outlook on life because she does not want others to be sad for her. She believes that her daughter will do whatever she wants to do by not letting the tragedy define her life.