It's been a long road for a Nebraska girl and her family, but somehow, she's smiling.
Elizabeth Gilreath had her scalp ripped off in a freak accident when her long hair got caught in a carnival ride earlier this month. The incident left the 11-year-old in critical condition.
At the time, her dad said they worried she would never see again.
But her mom, Virginia Cooksey, wrote on Facebook Tuesday that while Elizabeth, who they call "Lulu," still can't see out of her left eye, she recently saw herself for the first time.
In the photo below, she's grinning.
WARNING: You may find the photo below upsetting.
"Lulu is stronger than me," Cooksey wrote.
"My baby girl saw herself for the first time today."
She wrote that a doctor told them the girl would have surgery Friday or Saturday, and asked for prayers.
On Monday, Cooksey wrote that Lulu had 15 blood transfusions and would have to undergo surgery to remove the back of her scalp, from the crown to the bottom.
"Please continue praying for my family and Lulu," she said.
Also on HuffPost
