Carroll County girl who fell in well starts physical therapy

ATLANTA — The 7-year-old Carroll County girl who fell down a well two weeks ago has started physical therapy.

Wednesday, the girl's mother told Channel 2's Diana Davis that her daughter has made remarkable progress.

The get-well cards keep coming to Megan Winters' hospital room.

Her mother, Melissa Winters, shared the latest pictures of Megan and, for the first time, agreed to speak to Davis in person about her daughter's recovery.

"Yesterday was a little bit difficult. It went from laying down for two weeks to being on the go all of a sudden," Melissa Winters said.

The 7-year-old fell into a well visiting her grandmother in Carroll County Dec. 30.

Megan's initial surgeries were at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.

Doctors moved her to Scottish Rite Monday to start the hard work of physical therapy.

"She was a little discouraged. She didn't want to cooperate that much yesterday, so we had a pow-wow. So I really need to tell her that we need to focus on not only the physical therapy but helping herself. She needs more mobility. She needs to be able to use her right arm to get in and out of the wheelchair," Melissa Winters said.

One arm will be in a cast for about six weeks. Her left leg will be in a top-to-bottom cast about 10 weeks.

"She cannot put any weight down on her right leg whatsoever. That's going to be the longer healing period," Melissa Winters said.

Her mom says what's been particularly most heartening are all the hundreds of cards and well-wishes she's gotten in her room and thousands more on Facebook.

"Four thousand, seven hundred eighty-three people have logged on to her Facebook page and liked the page and have sent me prayers," said Melissa Winters.

Those prayers have been answered, Melissa Winters said.

"Doctors expect her full recovery with full mobility; going back to doing soccer and karate and everything she likes to do," Melissa Winters said, adding that the second-grader is back at cracking jokes.

"So when she woke up and told me a joke to make me smile, that's when I cried. That was my happy tears, that was my good day, that I knew she was going to me my Megan again," Melissa Winters said.

Megan is expected to leave the hospital next Thursday, Jan 23.

She will need more physical therapy when she is out of the hospital. It may be March before she's able to go back to school.

WSBTV