Ariel Young emerges from coma almost two weeks after accident caused by Britt Reid, but has 'long road to recovery' [Updated]

Updated on February 16, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.:   Ariel Young, the five-year-old that was injured in the car accident with Britt Reid, is out of her coma. An initial update was posted by Tiffany Verhulst last night on the GoFundMe page for Ariel’s family that says “Ariel is awake.” However, while this post didn’t go into any further details about Ariel’s condition, a later post from Verhulst early Tuesday evening detailed “a long road to recovery.”

Here’s the latest post in its entirety:

Ariel, while she is awake she is not the same happy free spirited little girl she was before this horrific crash. She has a long road to recovery and the things that were once easy for her will no longer be. We are so happy she is awake yet so sad at the toll this took on her body and brain. We are thankful for the continued support and love for her right now. No family or child should ever have to go through this.

Thank you ❤️

The GoFundMe page for Ariel has surpassed $500,000. 

Last week, Verhulst thanked donors for their support.

“Thank you to everyone who continues to pray for Ariel and support the family,” Verhulst wrote last Thursday. “She remains in a coma and there are no changes today. I’m hopeful that the next time I update this page, it’s with better news.”

Reid, who is under investigation for DUI, initially was placed on administrative leave by the Kansas City Chiefs. His contract has since expired, and he’s currently not employed by the Chiefs.

According to the Kansas City Star, the Chiefs’ last comment on the matter was last week, stating that they are assisting local authorities, adding, “Our focus remains on Ariel on her family. We have reached out to the family to offer our support and resources to them during this difficult time, and we will continue to pray for her recovery.”

The silence both legally and from the league surrounding the Britt Reid issue is deafening, and my anger towards it grows by the day. Apparently, it’s “under investigation,” but I’m baffled as to what is taking so long. He admitted to drinking and caused an accident with injuries. It’s now been 12 days since the crash on February 4, and charges still haven’t been filed.