Unthinkable. That's the only word to describe what happened outside an Iowa high school just over a week ago. The recovery that one girl has made since then is nothing short of a miracle.

At around mid-afternoon on Monday, March 7, shots were fired at a group of teens outside Des Moines East High School. Des Moines Police have said at least 35 shots were fired into a group of students by six juveniles in three different vehicles. The six have all been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 15-year-old Jose Lopez.

Two other teenagers were also injured in the shooting. 16-year-old Jessica Lopez remains in critical condition. A GoFundMe has been set up for her.

The other victim, 18-year-old Kemery Ortega, a senior at Des Moines East, was shot in the head.

According to WHO-TV, the bullet is still in Ortega's skull. Her mother, Miriam, said last week, that "The doctors did not want to continue looking for the bullet to remove it because if they had done it, they would have caused brain damage..."

The progress Kemery has made since the shooting is remarkable. Sunday, she recorded this video.

Earlier that day, Kemery had her head shaved to make it easier and more comfortable to wear a helmet to protect the area of her head where surgery was performed.

Miriam Montiel Tellez
Miriam Montiel Tellez
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On Monday, Kemery's mom provided the wonderful news that the latest CT Scan showed "everything looks good, they can see the bullet and they said that the blood vessels around the bullet look completely fine (Praise the Lord)." That same day, Kemery got up and walked for the first time since before the shooting.

Hospital staff continue to work with Kemery on her swallowing, in the hopes that she'll soon be able to eat again. It's a reminder of the fact that this very strong young woman still has a long road to recovery ahead. If you'd like to donate to a GoFundMe for Kemery, you can do that here.

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