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An 18-year-old Alexander County woman is hospitalized in Oklahoma with serious injuries she suffered while practicing for a rodeo competition last week.
Doctors say Kelly Blanton, who graduated in June from Alexander Central High School, is paralyzed from the neck down.
She was injured July 11 while practicing for the International Finals Youth Rodeo competition in Shawnee, Okla. Blanton was entered in the breakaway roping event and was thrown from her horse when it bucked.
According to several published reports, she suffered broken bones in her neck and damage to her spinal cord.
She has been hospitalized at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center for the past week. She was listed in stable condition Tuesday morning. A family friend posted a message Tuesday on a Facebook page set up for Blanton, saying family members hope to have her transferred Friday to an Atlanta hospital that specializes in helping people with spinal cord injuries.
Blanton, who graduated with honors from high school and is considering a career as a veterinarian, has been competing in rodeo competition for a number of years, friends said.
Blanton's mother, Geri Blanton, told KOCO-TV of Oklahoma City that her daughter remains strong.
"She said, 'I'm OK,' " Blanton told KOCO. "I'll get better. At least I'm alert, and I know what's going on."
The Facebook page for her, "Prayer Chain for Kelly Blanton," is at on.fb.me/qYH6v9
KOCO-TV contributed
