PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Triathlete Ashleigh Whitton is showing new signs of recovery, including moving her toes and breathing on her own, two weeks after being struck by a car during a race in Palm Beach County.
WATCH BELOW: Bicyclist paralyzed after being hit by a car during triathlon
Monday marks two weeks since Ashleigh Whitton, 45, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was struck by a car. She was competing in the bicycle portion of the Bill Bone Olympic Triathlon when investigators said a 74-year-old driver turned onto the closed course, striking Whitton and another cyclist.
She was airlifted to the hospital with severe injuries and was in a coma following the crash. She remains paralyzed from the neck down and is still hospitalized.
Last week, Ashleigh Whitton went into cardiac arrest, was revived through CPR and underwent a procedure to have a pacemaker placed to provide stability, Jen Greene said on a GoFundMe page.
On Sunday, Ashleigh Whitton was alert, responsive and able to move her toes for the first time since the accident, Greene said. She moved her toes repeatedly and on command, and shared that she could feel touch. She is also spending time breathing on her own without much assistance.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Race organizer tells WPTV he is 'shaken ... to the core'
Family members said Ashleigh Whitton is now able to communicate by blinking in response to questions. Her husband, Patrick, has been talking with her and helping her piece together the incident, which she does not remember.
Patrick Whitton reminded her that just a few years ago, she taught herself how to swim, going from barely finishing a lap to swimming 3,000 meters in the ocean without stopping. Her family noted that same determination is still there.
"I am not done yet," Ashleigh Whitton said in a previous post shared by her family.
"Ashleigh is an extraordinary woman who has impacted so many lives," Patrick Whitton said. "She is one of the strongest and most selfless people you will ever meet. She's an incredible mother, loving stepmother and devoted wife. We don't know what the future holds for Ashleigh, but we know she will fight hard to recover to the extent that she can, and that her family and I will be by her side every step of the way."
On April 16, it was announced the family hired injury law firm Morgan & Morgan to investigate the incident.
"Ashleigh traveled from Minnesota to compete in this race, as she had for many triathlons before," Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Hutch Pinder said in a joint statement. "It’s completely inexcusable that a driver entered the course and, in an instant, altered Ashleigh’s life forever. Her family is devastated. We are working tirelessly to uncover all the evidence so we can understand how this happened, how it might have been prevented, and who is responsible."
Whitton's family is raising money to help pay for her long-term care. The GoFundMe page has raised over $120,000 so far.
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