Neighboring hospital releases last NIU victim
NIU sophomore Samantha Dehner had prepared a statement for Monday's news conference at Kishwaukee Community Hospital.
Wearing a red university sweatshirt, Dehner, 20, sat in a wheelchair next to her parents and doctors, her arm in a sling.
Then, just before she was to speak, Dehner lost her composure and began to cry.
"As you can see ... she's pretty shook up," said her father, Robert Dehner. "A couple of people that didn't make it were good friends of hers."
The sophomore from Carol Stream was close friends with Gayle Dubowski and Dan Parmenter, both killed in the attack, and at least one other wounded student.
Video " class="mediaItem">Survivor's father speaks
"We do consider ourselves lucky that we're able to take ours home," her father said.
Kishwaukee initially received 18 shooting victims Thursday. Samantha, released Monday afternoon, was the hospital's last remaining patient. She was shot in the right arm and right thigh, said Robert Swartz, the Midwest Orthopaedic Institute surgeon who operated on her.
About a third of the humerus bone, which runs from the shoulder to the elbow, was shattered near the elbow, Swartz said. No major arteries were damaged.
A two-hour Friday surgery began by exploring the bruised radial nerve in the back of her arm, surgeon Rajeev Jain said.
"We inserted a plate in her elbow and about 12 or so screws," he said. "The surgery went wonderfully."
The thigh wound did not require surgery, Jain said.
"It's difficult to say if Samantha will regain full use of the arm," Jain said. Radial nerve recovery may take "months to years."
Dehner is expected to begin physical therapy next week.
Robert Dehner, who choked up as he described the outpouring of community support, described his daughter's level of care as unbelievable. "What this community's done, top to bottom, is just unbelievable," he said.
Samantha is expected to return to live at her Sigma Kappa sorority house in the fall, he said.
Dehner said his daughter has been in relatively good spirits recently.
"She's been able to talk about it without any problems," he said. "She's a real tough kid. She'll make it through."
Joking around with her father Sunday evening in the hospital waiting room, "She says to me, 'You know, Dad, I was shot. I think I deserve a car.' "