Milwaukee high school star basketball player paralyzed, needs help from community

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A family has a cry for help after a 17-year-old girl was left paralyzed for the rest of her life. The high school star basketball player from the Milwaukee Academy of Science is resilient. 

"Her lung came back to life and that's when I was able to tell everybody that she was fighting, her fight is at a different level now, now it’s the rehabilitation stage," said DeDe Rogers, Toniah's mother. 

Toniah was shot on July 26 during a road rage incident near 24th and Locust. Milwaukee police say 35-year-old Jerod Brumfield was the shooter. He's facing six charges. 

Brumfield had a reputation as the Milwaukee stolen car bounty hunter. 

"I'm really hurt someone would do that instead of not knowing if babies were in that car or car seats," said Shamari Ford, Toniah's aunt. 

Family says the incident may have knocked Toniah down, but not for long. 

"She has a will and determination to keep fighting and her dreams to finish school and college,' said Rogers. 

Toniah's mother says she planned to go into the WNBA. That dream now crushed, they are pushing for the paralympics. 

"We want her to go to the Olympics, anything and everything her body is able to allow her to do after her changes we want to make sure she can," said Rogers. 

It's a call to the athletic organizations, trainers, and therapists to help Toniah accomplish her new dream. 

"She needs all the help she can get, devices, therapists, people that can have things they've used, things that they know, methods. Anything we can get that people can show us the way and teach us," said Rogers. 

Toniah is now working on her upper body strength. Learning how to be independent and adapt to this lifelong condition. 

If you'd like to donate to her GoFundMe, CLICK HERE.