Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo. Surrounded by a table full of turtle gifts from friends, Mersadie Sadie Walker, is home in Lawrence after a three-week stay in a hospital after she was hit by a car while helping a turtle cross a road.

After being confined to white-walled hospital rooms for the past three weeks, Mersadie “Sadie” Walker is happy to be home.

The 17-year-old Lawrence teenager suffered critical injuries after being struck by a car June 19 as she was trying to help a turtle off a roadway in rural Douglas County on East 1900 Road.

When Walker was taken by helicopter to Overland Park Regional Medical Center, her mother, Nancy Walker, said she didn’t know whether her daughter would survive.

“They didn’t know if she’d be brain dead,” Nancy Walker said. “They thought at least three weeks in the ICU, and now here she is three weeks and out of the hospital.”

The last thing Sadie Walker remembers from that day was seeing her mother’s face scrunched up in sheer terror, screaming at Sadie to get out of the way.

“I’m glad I don’t remember anything else,” Walker said. “I’m glad I don’t have those memories.”

She suffered leg injuries, pelvic injuries and had to have heart surgery after the accident. Now, Walker is able to get around the house with a walker and some motivation.

She moves around now, carefully, and will start physical therapy in Lawrence on Monday. She’s looking forward to a full recovery and a future career involving animals, but for now, she’s just happy to be home.

And as for any more future excursions for the sake of a turtle’s safety, Sadie hasn’t ruled it out. When asked if she’d do it again, she said, “probably.”

The driver who hit Sadie Walker, 36-year-old Elisabeth L. Mason, of Lawrence, was arrested after the accident on suspicion of driving with a suspended license and failure to provide proof of liability insurance. According to Douglas County District Court records, no other charges have been filed.

The family would like to thank the Lawrence community for its support during the last few difficult weeks, Nancy Walker added. She said friends, family and strangers as far as Arizona have donated to a benefit fund in Sadie’s name at Lawrence Bank to help with the family’s costs during the girl’s recovery period.