BRIGHT — U.S. Marine Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart, 20, of Bright, is still recovering after she was injured in the Aug. 26 attack at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan.
Bright is in Dearborn County and borders Ohio.
The attack killed several U.S. service members, including Marine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, of Logansport.
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Her mother, Stacey Webb Lainhart, said Kelsee suffered severe injuries including shrapnel in her legs. On Sept. 17, she turned 20 in the hospital.
Her family has been sharing updates on Caring Bridge. And this week, Kelsee wrote her first update.
"I am blown away by the support that I have received not only from my community back home, but all across the country," Kelsee wrote. "The amount of people that genuinely care about what happened and have shown love and support to me and the other marines that were injured as well as to the families of those who passed really warms my heart and I couldn’t be more grateful for all of you."
She said she knows physical therapy will be tough, but she's "more than ready" to start walking again.
"In my mind there is no other option than to be walking again, which I will so don’t any of you worry," she wrote.
Kelsee said she is trying to be positive, but there have been some tough days.
During the attack, Kelsee was with her friend, Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California. She didn't know Gee was one of the service members killed until she got an iPad from the Wounded Warrior Project, Stacey said.
"It’s hard seeing videos of memorials, especially Nicole’s and not being able to be there," Kelsee wrote this week. "I pray for peace for all their families and that they know that people from all over the country are praying for them.
In August, her mom said she was awarded the Purple Heart Medal by the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.
"They told her what an amazing job she did and told her the impact of her service and that they had gotten everyone out of Afghanistan," Stacey wrote in August. "They said that she has Marines and military all over the world praying for her. She did not remember them coming to present her the Purple Heart, but I'm sure she'll remember them coming yesterday."
A GoFundMe has been created to help support her recovery.
Those who would like to send cards and packages can send them to this address:
Corporal Kelsee Lainhart
WRNMMC / Postal Ops
General Delivery
8901 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD. 20889
WRTV Digital Executive Producer Katie Cox contributed to this report.
