STURTEVANT — One week after a fire in Sturtevant displaced 25 residents from a 16-unit apartment building on April 8, the family of a 64-year-old woman injured in the blaze is sharing details about her recovery and rallying community support.
According to fire officials, Wendy Elliott was rescued about an hour into firefighting efforts after the fire destroyed the apartment complex. She is believed to have been in the unit where the fire started, though exactly what happened remains unknown.
WATCH: The family of a 64-year-old woman injured in the Sturtevant apartment fire is sharing details about her recovery
"She's fighting for her life every single day. Every single breath my mom takes is a fight," Amanda Knoke said.
Knoke said she has been visiting her mother at the St. Mary's burn unit in Milwaukee every day. She is making medical decisions and keeping a journal of the process for her mom, who is in a medically induced coma.
"Nobody should see their parent going through what my mom is going through right now," Knoke said.
Elliott suffered burns to about 25 percent of her body, but Knoke said that is not the worst of her injuries.
"Her lungs are full of soot," Knoke said.
Treatment has shown signs of progress, even as there is still a long physical and financial recovery ahead.
"You don't celebrate big wins in the burn unit. You celebrate little wins," Knoke said.
Elliott lost everything in the fire and will face significant medical bills.
"So when she comes out of a coma, we have to have the ability to rebuild my mom's life from the ground up," Knoke said.
Knoke has set up a GoFundMe for her mom, which has already raised more than $5,000 to help.
"My hope is that when my mom opens her eyes and she breathes on her own, that I can tell my mom, 'Look at what your family, your friends and your community have done for you,'" Knoke said.
South Shore Fire Department Assistant Chief Anthony Soler told TMJ4 on Thursday that he hopes to have the fire investigation report back within seven to 10 days.
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