LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After spending the past month recovering, a 6-year-old Kentucky girl who was shot during a road rage incident on I-65 is finally heading home.
Onyx Sands was shot in the back just days after celebrating her sixth birthday -- changing her life forever.
She's been undergoing therapy at Frazier Rehabilitation Institute.
"I'm ready for us to go on to the next chapter and tackle whatever challenges may come," Onyx's mother Chyna said.
She said the road to get here was nothing short of a miracle.
"I know it's just been 39 days but the we have come a long way," Chyna said. "We started out the ICU and those were some of the hardest nights."
Since then, a wheelchair has become Onyx's new normal.
But through it all, Chyna says the little one hasn't lost her spunk.
"My daughter's spirit is what's keeping me strong," she said. "Everyone comments 'You're so strong. You're so strong. I don't know what I would do.' How can I be sad and down about a situation that she's optimistic about?"
Dr. Catherine Schuster says that bright personality helped with her recovery, and keep the hospital on it's toes.
Schuster and the Frazier family said they will miss having Onyx around, but before leaving they showered her will a few gifts.
Though the young girl still has a long road ahead, her mother says knowing Onyx it'll be a bright one.
What exactly happened?
Louisville Metro Police said Onyx was in the car with her father on July 10 when the vehicle got into an altercation with a group of motorcyclists.
They shot at the car, and LMPD said at least 15 shots were fired over an eight mile stretch of interstate.
Police said when they were called to the shooting they found Jonathan Rivera, 33, nearby with a gun. Officers said the gun in his waistband matched the shell casings found at the road rage shooting scene.
Authorities arrested Rivera and charged him with being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun.
He was also indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a gun by a convicted felon.
No one has been charged at this point with firing the bullet that hit Onyx.
If you would like to help Onyx and her family, a GoFundMe has been set up.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.