MINNEAPOLIS - Shianne Dean still gets painful headaches. Her knees still buckle and her arm sometimes hurts so bad she can't move it.
But the 11-year-old, just days away from starting sixth grade, is in good spirits and on the mend after multiple surgeries and a two-month stint at North Memorial Hospital. Back in May, police said a driver struck her on Penn Avenue North near 23rd after she'd gotten off the school bus; prosecutors have now charged that man, Gregory Garth, and have accused him of driving with THC, cocaine and alcohol in his system.
Shianne, meanwhile, returned home last month and is now eager to start school again.
"I'm feeling all right," Shianne said. "Not the best, but I'm OK."
Shianne was a stellar student in the classroom before the incident, and she's determined to continue that success despite her physical adversity. She's gone through speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy in anticipation for the start of the school year later this month.
"My whole school, everybody knows what happened. Since my whole school prayed over me and got me cars and helped me through this journey, I'm gonna say thank you," Shianne said, "and get back to what I was doing at first."
Taliah, her younger sister, said on Friday that Shianne finally seems to be back to her old self.
"I feel like today was the best day for her. All she's been doing is smiling and laughing," Taliah said. "It's been a rough time for her and this is the most happy I've been seeing her — today — and I'm proud of her."
Shianne, meanwhile, had a final message for the man accused of hitting her:
"He really just needs to stop with his addiction and all those drugs, so he won't hurt any other family," Shianne said, "because I don't want any other family going through what I had to go through."