Teen Attacked Outside Library Survives & Her Story Will Amaze You: The Case of Queena Phu

Summary

True Crime with Kendall Rae – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Teen Attacked Outside Library Survives & Her Story Will Amaze You: The Case of Queena Phu
Podcast: True Crime with Kendall Rae (Mile Higher Media & Audioboom Studios)
Date: February 26, 2026
Subject: The survival, resilience, and ongoing recovery of Queena Phu after a brutal 2008 attack outside her local library, and the remarkable support from her family and community.

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Kendall Rae explores the harrowing and ultimately inspiring story of Queena Phu, who survived an unfathomable assault at 18 but was left with severe, lifelong disabilities. Rae highlights Queena’s courage, her family’s unwavering support, and the ripple of kindness and advocacy her case has inspired. The episode balances the details of the crime and its aftermath with a strong focus on victim empathy, community response, and the quest for justice.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Queena Phu’s Early Life and Family Resilience

• Kendall sets the stage by introducing Queena, describing her as a bright, kind, and involved teenager (10:19).
• Provides significant context about her mother, Vanna, who survived near-impossible odds as a Vietnamese refugee:

  “When Vanna was put on that boat in 1981, she was given a 1% chance of surviving and making it to Malaysia. And not only did she survive, but she eventually came to America and started the life I imagine her father wanted for her all along.” (03:34)

• The story of Vanna's resilience is threaded directly into Queena's story, illustrating "where she gets that willpower and survival strength." (03:50)

2. Queena’s Personality, Dreams, and Achievements

• A snapshot of Queena’s life pre-attack:
  • Described as “happy… incredibly big heart… always smiling… loved making people laugh… studious but not nerdy.” (06:00)
  • Deeply compassionate, volunteering at hospice, active in student government and “Best Buddies” program.
  • Had just turned 18, on the honor roll, headed to University of Florida on a full scholarship (06:54).
  • Excited for upcoming moments: prom and graduation.
  • Memorable quote:

    “I genuinely believe that above all else, Queena was simply just a normal teenage girl. She loved shopping and ice cream and texting her friends and she was always late to things and her room was always messy…” (06:50)

3. The Attack – April 24, 2008

• Queena left work late, stopped at the Bloomingdale Regional Library to return books. Noted a “weird looking guy” as she arrived.
• Was on the phone with Rachel (friend) for safety – a conversation cut short by sudden screams, then silence (12:04).
• Rachel and friends/family sprung into action, racing to the scene.
• Priscilla (another friend) arrived first, found Queena’s car running, phone in pieces, blood on the ground. They eventually located Queena in a ditch behind the library, her body severely battered, and called 911 (13:45).
• Powerful description:

  “Imagine pulling up to that scene, hoping for the best and seeing that... police actually had to physically hold [her mother] back from running to her daughter, which, God, it’s just an experience that no mother should ever have to have.” (14:35)

4. Attack Details and Aftermath

• Queena was stabbed, strangled, sexually assaulted, left with catastrophic injuries, ant bites from being left near an ant hill (21:36).
• Family confronted unimaginable trauma at her bedside; Anna (her sister) had to assist with the rape kit—a moment Kendall describes as “another level of trauma” (21:55).
• When Queena first woke from coma:

  “She was asking why she couldn’t see and if the police caught the guy who did it, but they hadn’t yet… She kept asking if she was still going to be able to make it to prom.” (23:06)

• Her condition worsened; seizures led to a medically induced coma (23:36).
• Investigation challenges: over 100 sex offenders nearby, but a crucial tip (a student seeing Kendrick Morris at the library) pointed detectives to the perpetrator (24:48).

5. The Perpetrator: Kendrick Morris

• 16-year-old with prior criminal history, already responsible for another sexual assault at age 15 (30:51).
• Arrested based on fingerprints, DNA evidence, and eyewitness testimony.
• After the brutal attack, nonchalantly went to McDonald’s for Happy Meals and to Walmart, as seen on surveillance:

  “What kind of sick person would be able to go from doing something like that to sitting down at Mickey D’s and eating two Happy Meals?” (28:07)

6. The Legal Outcome

• Found guilty on all charges; originally sentenced to two 65-year concurrent terms.
• Attempted sentence reduction due to changing laws about minors, but ultimately received a life sentence “and that new sentence is exactly what he deserves. It’s also what Queena’s family thinks he deserves…” (32:45).
• Notable quote:

  “After nearly killing Queena, he went about his night like nothing had happened… He was 15 when he attacked the daycare worker… people … were surprised to see that a teenager was the one responsible. People were actually shocked.” (30:51)

7. Queena’s Recovery, Family, and Community Support

• Doctors predicted a “vegetative state,” but her family refused to give up, moving her to specialized rehab (34:25).
• Friends showed immense support; Priscilla skipped her own prom to sit with Queena in the hospital (31:27).
• Small signs of improvement—her sister believed Queena could hear her before staff did.
• After years of therapy, Queena is able to stand and walk with assistance, attempts vocalization, still beams with happiness (36:32).
• Care costs upward of $70,000/year, mostly not covered by insurance (40:30).
• Her mother Vanna’s devotion and advocacy are a major theme; Vanna also authored a memoir to encourage others (“The Life She Once Knew”).
• Memorable moment:

  “I truly have to say these images fall into my top 10 most inspirational photos I’ve ever seen. After knowing what she went through, Queena is in physical therapy… and you can just tell that every single person that she works with believes in her and that her strength and positivity just shines through.” (36:32)

8. Community Kindness and a Prom Reclaimed

• Years later, Queena finally goes to prom, escorted by a friend (Derek) as his date:

  “Queena planned on attending her Senior Prom in 2008. Then came a routine trip to the Bloomingdale Library. ...When she was asked to the prom, a part of her life was returned to her. You and I take it for granted. It’s called normalcy.” – Anna, her sister (39:00)

• The whole community makes it special—hair, makeup, dress alterations, and a motorcycle club escort (39:47).
• Derek becomes a fixture in her life, even taking her as his date to Anna’s wedding:

  “I always love seeing people that, you know who have gone through, such tragedies but find, I would say, the rainbow in the storm.” (39:47)

9. Closing Reflections & Inspiring Legacy

• Rae emphasizes Queena’s identity as “the Bloomingdale Library Survivor,” not a victim (41:00).
• Highlights ongoing need for support—listeners can donate via joinquina.com or purchase Vanna’s memoir.
• Notes her own foundation (Higher Hope) will be reaching out with a grant for Queena’s care.
• Rae provides broader reflections on hope, survival, and the power of kindness:

  “...I am totally in awe of everything that Queena has overcome. For a while there she was being referred to as the Bloomingdale Library Victim. But over the years that title has rightfully changed the Bloomingdale Library Survivor. And she is truly the definition of a survivor.” (41:00)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On survival and hope:

  “Her mind and her heart are 100 present and positive in everything that she does… her way of communicating right now is through her facial expressions and sound, specifically laughter, which I think is really beautiful.” – Kendall Rae (37:25)

• On the power of friendship:

  “Priscilla even skipped prom night to come and sit by her side in the hospital, which is just so beautiful, which just makes me so emotional to think about.” – Kendall Rae (31:28)

• On family resilience:

  “Anna and Vanna refused. Queena may not have been able to see, walk or talk or eat, but her mind was alive and they weren’t going to give up on her.” (34:25)

• On justice:

  “Kendrick Morris was sentenced to two concurrent 65 year sentences. ...That new sentence is exactly what he deserves. …her family thinks he deserves.” (32:45)

• On Queena finally attending prom:

  “55 motorcycle riders provided the escort for Queena and her date. And while she couldn’t see the warm reception, she certainly could hear it.” – Reporter (39:59)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Queena’s Family & Early Life: 03:36–06:30
• High School Achievements & Personality: 06:00–10:00
• The Night of the Attack: 10:19–14:00
• Crime Scene & Aftermath: 14:00–18:24
• Hospital, Trauma, Family Response: 21:24–23:36
• Investigation & Break in the Case: 23:36–26:00
• Arrest & Creeping Normalcy of Perpetrator: 26:00–29:00
• Connection to Prior Crime: 30:51–31:27
• Legal Process, Sentencing, and Closure: 32:45–34:00
• Queena’s Recovery & Family Devotion: 34:25–40:30
• Prom, Community Kindness, and Derek: 39:00–41:00
• Reflection on Hope, Survival, and Sharing Stories: 41:00–42:30

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Tone and Style

Kendall Rae delivers this episode with warmth and compassion, prioritizing Queena’s and her family’s experiences at every turn. The language is gentle yet explicit enough to honor the severity of the crime, consistently focused on victim respect, resilience, and the impact of collective kindness.

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Conclusion

This episode of “True Crime with Kendall Rae” is a profound tribute to the human spirit. It presents Queena Phu not as a statistic, but as a vibrant young woman forever changed by violence yet continually uplifted by her family, friends, and community. Listeners come away not merely with outrage at the crime, but deeply moved by Queena’s perseverance and the ways ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.

Learn more or support Queena’s ongoing care: joinquina.com
Read Vanna’s memoir: The Life She Once Knew

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Transcript

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Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of True Crime with Kendall Rae. Thank you so much for joining me today, and if you're new to the show, then welcome. So happy to have you here. So at 18 years old, your life is really just beginning, right? No matter who you are or what your plans are for the future, what you've got going on, you're really at the beginning of what should be a transformative chapter in your life, whether that's for the good or the bad. But for Queen Ofu, who was just a few weeks away from graduating high school, the future that she dreamed of was taken from her in a very short amount of time and in such a shocking way. Instead, Queena can no longer walk on her own, she can't eat on her own, she can't talk or even see. And her story is truly one that more people should hear. It is absolutely remarkable. Her story of survival and everything that she's been through. But still, her life will never be the same. I am truly so inspired by Queen of story and her strength and her family and everything that they have done for her. And I really hope that this case deeply resonates with you all the way that it has for me. And with that, let's go ahead and jump into Queena's case, whose story really begins with her mom. Before there was Queena and her big sister Anna, there was their mom, Vanna, who was born in Vietnam. Her father was an officer in the South Vietnamese military. And in 1975, when North Vietnam took over, he was put in prison, which changed the trajectory of Vanna's life. And then years later, after he was freed, he decided to put her on a refugee boat to hopefully give her a better life. In order to get there, though, she would have to survive the journey, of course. And when Vanna was put on that boat in 1981, she was given a 1% chance of surviving and making it to Malaysia. And not only did she survive, but she eventually came to America and started the life I imagine her father wanted for her all along. I mention this story because it tells us a lot. It provides a lot of context about Vanna's strength as a mother and how that was passed on to Queena. And I think it tells us a lot about why Queena is the way she is and where she gets that willpower and survival strength. So now let me tell you about Queena. So Queen of Fu is an April baby. She was born on April 22. That's actually my birthday too. She was born in 1990, so we're just three years apart. And she is the younger and only sibling to her big sister Anna. And looking at photos of the two of them, you can just tell that they were totally two peas in a pod. In fact, Anna says that she, Queena and their mom are a three woman unit because it's always just in the three of them. And I think you guys will see that their closeness has truly never wavered. And I think we can also see why Anna admired her little sister so very much growing up. Queena is described as a very happy kid who had an incredibly big heart. And I think you can just see that in pictures of her that sort of just shines through in my opinion. She was always known to be kind. She was always smiling and never seemed to have a care in the world. Everyone says that she loved making people laugh and that more often than not you could find her with her nose in a book. A friend of hers described her as studious but not nerdy. And I think a lot of people would agree to that. Plus, on top of being a good student, she was super involved too. Not only was she a member of student government and a two sport athlete, but she was also part of her high school's best buddies program, which is really cool. I actually did a very similar program myself. Now, if you haven't heard of anything like this, it's a program where a student fosters a relationship with another student that has intellectual and developmental differences. And it looks like she had the best time with that. And I think it says a lot about her character. And not to mention the fact that in her spare time she also volunteered at hospice care centers. Queena is someone who put others before herself, truly. And so I'm not surprised in the slightest that people really just seem to gravitate towards her. And she's actually been described as someone who didn't try to be popular, but she just was effortlessly. And I genuinely believe that above all else, Queena was simply just a normal teenage girl. She loved shopping and ice cream and texting her friends and she was always late to things and her room was always messy, which is definitely something that myself and I'm sure so many of you can relate to, especially when you were younger. Now, she also worked at Abercrombie in 2008, which was like Abercrombie's heyday, right? Like it was the time to work at Abercrombie. I would have been so jealous of her working there. I mean, I never even bought anything from Abercrombie because I just simply wasn't cool enough and I would get like triggered to even walk into a store. But yeah, it was definitely a cool place to work. And as a girl who did love to shop, this was perfect for Kina. Now it was only a part time gig to make a little cash, but seeing as she was only a few weeks away from graduating high school, that that extra money would be fantastic going into college, right? Queena was an honor roll student and she had been accepted into the University of Florida with a full ride scholarship. And she hoped to one day work in international business fashion. And that dream was well within reach. All that stood between her current life and that next era was two very exciting things. Senior prom and graduation. 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now. She was especially excited for senior prom. Prom is such an exciting time, and I loved her plans for prom. She was going to go with about 10 other girlfriends. They were just going to go as each other's dates. Sounds like a blast. She had picked out a really pretty purple dress that she was going to wear, and, you know, she was just waiting for that day to come. Vanna remembers being really excited for her as well, because she was going to be the first one in their family to go to an American prom. And in true mom fashion, she says that she was going to take a million pictures of her before the dance and just remember and soak in that really special day. But Kwina never got to go to that prom because of what happened to her. Just two days after her birthday on April 24, 2008, she had quite literally just turned 18, which is just heartbreaking to think about. This was a Thursday, pretty normal day, obviously had just celebrated this milestone birthday and was really pumped about that. And she and her friends had plans to celebrate her birthday that upcoming weekend. Now, that night she had to work, and she actually had to work late. Someone else had called out sick. And so she was asked to help out with the closing shift, which ended at 9:45. And that was fine. But it did mean that she, you know, would be walking to her car in the dark by the time that she left work. There was an employee parking lot not too far away, but still, I think pretty much every woman knows that uneasy feeling of having to walk to your car alone at night. I know that was definitely a feeling that Queena had. So she did the smart thing by calling her friend Rachel while she walked. Vanna said that she was really always cautious like that. And she was also really good about texting when she made it home safe, especially because in the months leading up to this, a woman who lived in the same area as them in Bloomingdale, Florida, was violently attacked. And that really freaked her out. Ten months earlier, in June of 2007, a 62 year old daycare worker was was sexually assaulted at knife point by an individual who had forced their way into the daycare early one morning. The attacker was caught on Grady surveillance video, but they were never identified. In fact, Queena and Rachel had recently spoken about wanting to take more safety precautions. So they had given each other their parents phone numbers in case of emergency, which is really, really wise. And then that night obviously Queena was being extra safe by calling her friend. And plus they were just talking, they were chatting about their upcoming weekend plans to celebrate Queen's birthday that weekend as she drove home. And she did make it to her car safely. However, before she went home, she had to make a stop at the local library. Totally innocent stop, just returning some books. Now the Bloomingdale Regional Library had one of those drive up book drop offs, so in theory she wouldn't even have to leave her car. And this was something that Rachel was aware of. So it threw her off when she heard Queena get out of her car, especially because as she was pulling up to the library she had made a comment about there being this weird looking guy sitting on a bench. Now she even specifically asked Rachel to stay on the line with her because he was creeping her out. But the reason she got out of her car even though there was a drop off was because her books were in the backseat. So she just needed to grab them out so she could drop them into the book drop off. And in that moment Rachel heard Queena being attacked. In a split second Queena began to scream and then suddenly the line went dead. And when Rachel tried calling her back, her phone just went straight to voicemail, which signaled to her that something bad had happened. So she quickly jumped into action. Without missing a beat, she ends up calling their other mutual friend Priscilla, who lived close to the Libra, so she could quickly get over there and check on her as soon as possible. And then Rachel herself got in her car and started making her way there. Then of course she contacted Vanna, who actually was already concerned because Queena hadn't come home yet. And after hearing what Rachel had to say, Vanna got in her car and drove to the library as well. As for her sister Anna, she was at dinner with friends. But as soon as her mom said she thought Queena was kidnapped, she dropped everything too. Her boyfriend drove them over to the library and she even remembers asking him to pull over so she could throw up because she was so scared. And unfortunately they all had good reason to be terrified. Priscilla was the first to arrive, and she saw Queena's car right away. The engine was still running and her phone sat in two pieces on the ground next to several drops of blood, ultimately prompting her to call 91 1. I mean, imagine pulling up to that scene, hoping for the best and seeing that. And then soon after that, Vanna and Rachel arrived and the three of them proceeded to frantically search for Queena. And it actually did not take long before she was found. Just around the backside of the library in a ditch, they discovered Queena's body. EMS had also arrived by this point, and Vanna said it was like a moment out of a scary movie, and this is just so heartbreaking. But police actually had to physically hold her back from running to her daughter, which, God, it's just an experience that no mother should ever have to have. She says that everyone was crying and nobody knew if Queena was even alive. But they had to do their best to just hold on to hope as they were airlifting her to Tampa General Hospital, which in their minds, they thought they probably wouldn't do that if she wasn't showing any signs of life. Now, when she got there, A team of 13 doctors worked through the night to save her life, and thankfully they did. But her injuries were undeniably severe, to say the least. She had been stabbed, she had been strangled, she had been sexually assaulted. And truthfully, her chances of survival at this point were slim. And when the lead detective had gone to the hospital that night in hopes of speaking with Queena, he learned that they were unsure she would make it. And even though she did survive, thankfully she was in a coma at this point, and so he wouldn't have been able to speak with her regardless. He could, however, of course, talk to her mom and her sister to see if there was anyone that they could think of who would want to cause harm to her, who would do something this violent to Kuina. But genuinely, there was no one. They couldn't think of a single soul that would want to hurt her. This just appeared to be random. And so out of fear that the person might try to come back and kill her, they actually kept a deputy outside of her hospital room all night. Now, meanwhile, investigators start, of course, processing this scene. And that scene told a horrific story, starting with her car. There was a trail of blood from the driver's side door towards the front of the library, then leading back to where she was found. Bloody handprints were found on the library's exterior wall as well as a no parking sign indicated that she fought hard to get free from her attacker in that field. Her backpack was found open with her belongings just thrown everywhere. And there were also small but still noticeable pools of blood that were around the grass. And they even found the weapon that the attacker had used. It was near the wall on the side of the library and you would never guess what they used. It was a plastic Wendy's utensil that had been filed down to create a knife like point. So that was sent off to the lab for fingerprints in hopes that maybe it could tell them who was responsible for this. And truly everyone was determined to get this monster off the streets and nobody wanted that more than Queena's family.

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and I really can't even begin to picture what this would be like. But when they were finally able to go into her hospital room the morning after the attack, they were just beyond shocked by her condition because she was completely unrecognizable. Her jaw and her nose were broken, her eyes were swollen shut and her body was covered in both stab wounds and hundreds of ant bites. And that's because her body was left in this ditch that happened to be right near an ant hill or she was, I mean very, very close to this ant hill and they just like went, went crazy on her as she was lying there, which is so sick to think about. And if all of that wasn't traumatic enough, after hearing about everything that she had been through and then seeing it, Anna, her sister was asked to help perform a rape kit to help the nurses do it, which I cannot understand why they would do this. Maybe there are some of you out there who are can make sense of that. Or give some insight, but that seems, I don't know, that seems like extremely strange to me and so, so traumatic. And again, I don't know why they needed her help. Maybe there was a valid reason, I don't know. But they did. And she asked her mom to leave the room so that she didn't have to witness it. However, she did want to be the one to tell Vanna that the test did confirm assault. So for her to have to then tell her mom is another level of trauma. I'm sure no child wants to be the one to tell their mother something like that. But I'm sure Anna felt like that information was best coming from her than a stranger, even if that stranger was a nurse. And I totally get that. But God, it's gotta be so painful no matter what. Now that being said, there was a moment of hope that day because Queena woke up from her coma. Now, as you can imagine, when she woke up she was absolutely terrified and confused and I'm sure any of us would be. So she was kicking, she was screaming, and also asking about what happened to her. And because of how badly she had been strangled, Queena lost her vision. So she was also asking why she couldn't see and if the police caught the guy who did it, but they hadn't yet. And when the lead detective came in to question her, the last thing she could remember was getting out of the car, which I am happy to hear, that she doesn't have to relive that night, that she doesn't have memories of what specifically happens beyond getting out of the car, especially the sexual assault. Anna said they even purposely chose not to remind her that it had happened, which I think was the right call. And this is so heartbreaking thinking of the 18 year old mindset, but I guess Queena just kept asking if she was still going to be able to make it to prom. Like I said, she was just so excited about going. I mean, when you're that age, something like prom is your entire world for a period of time. And Anna assured that she would. She even told her she would do her makeup for her. But pretty soon after that, her condition actually worsened and Queena unfortunately never made it to her prom. Later that night she began having seizures and a CT scan revealed that her brain was starting to swell and in order to stop it, they had to place her in a medically induced coma. One that they weren't sure she would ever wake up from, which had to be unbelievably scary for all of them, especially because the person who did this to her had yet to be found. Investigators actually discovered that there were 101 sex offenders living within a five mile radius of that library. Just think about that. 101, that's 101 people to track down, 101 people to question, 101 people to, to get alibis from. That was not going to be easy or fast. But luckily they wouldn't end up having to do any of that because once the news of the attack hit the media, investigators got a tip that immediately sent them in the right direction. And that tip came from a Bloomingdale High school student who had reported that he and his dad happened to drop off books at the library around 9:30pm on the night of the attack. And he remembered when they pulled up up, he recognized a kid from school sitting on a bench. It was a sophomore named Kendrick Morris. Now if you remember when Queena was on the phone with Rachel, she told her she saw a weird looking guy sitting on a bench. The thing is though, that tip places Kendrick there at 9:30. And we know that Queena was attacked at 10:08, so anyone could have gone and sat down on the bench in the meantime. However, another person was able to place Kendrick there at 10. After investigators emptied all of the books from the drop off bin, they interviewed people who had returned those books to see if anyone was around the library sometime in that window. And one woman was. She even said she offered Kendrick a ride home, which he declined because he said his mom was coming. We now know that was a lie. But yeah, that placed him there eight minutes before everything happened. And sure he may have been just 16 years old, but he already had a record, including one arrest for cruelty to animals. So naturally investigators want to speak to him, of course. And listen to this. The next day while they were at the library talking to the librarians, Kendrick just walks on in. Apparently he went there a lot to use the Internet, so that must have been why he came in that day. But glad he did because right then and there they asked him to come into the station and I guess he had been listed as a runaway, so I think that's actually how they got him to go with them. But anyway, he goes willingly and they say that he was super polite and respectful. That being said, they didn't end up questioning him because he was a minor and when his mom came in, she refused to allow him to talk. Although his freedom did not last long because remember that Wendy's utensil I told you about earlier? Well, fingerprints on it as well, as fingerprints at the scene, ultimately pull pointed to Kendrick's guilt. So he was arrested early the next morning. And to top it off, surveillance footage at a nearby McDonald's and Walmart showed that after nearly killing Queena, he went about his night like nothing had happened. He first went to McDonald's, where he ordered two Happy Meals, which he ate right there at the restaurant. And then next he went to Walmart, where he was seen wandering through the video game aisle. He was then seen calling a taxi, which picked him up outside of Walmart. And in all of this footage, Kendrick is seen wearing a heavy coat despite it being a warm night, which investigators theorize was his way of covering up any blood that may have been on him. And what I want to know is if he had any concept for what was going on, if he even thought about what happens if I get caught, if he even, like, really processed what he just did. Because what kind of sick person would be able to go from doing something like that to sitting down at Mickey D's and eating two Happy Meals?

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Plus and this may not come as a shock to any of you, but when his DNA was run through an additional database, he was a match to the unsolved sexual assault of the daycare worker from 10 months prior that I mentioned earlier. Which by the way, he was 15 years old when that happened. And to say that people working that case and people in the community were surprised to see that a teenager was the one responsible would be a huge understatement. People were actually shocked and that was the reality of both of these cases. And meanwhile, Queena's family is coming to terms, trying to come to terms with the reality that her life would now never be the same. After two weeks of being in a medically induced coma, coma doctors took her off the meds like before and they weren't sure if she would ever wake up. Her chance of survival was slim. But her mom, her sister, her friends, they never gave up hope and they were genuinely by her side day in and day out. And her one friend Priscilla even skipped prom night to come and sit by her side in the hospital, which is just so beautiful, which just makes me so emotional to think about. She even had her hair and makeup all done. But she told Vanna that she just couldn't fathom going, knowing that Queena wouldn't be there. And that to me, especially for young girls, is true friendship. It is so beautiful. And that kind of support that she had truly never wavered. Every single person was rooting for her to show any sign of life. And Anna was actually one of the first people to witness it. There was a night where she said that she swore she saw Queenus smile when she was playing music for her, which the nurses actually told her that what she perceived as a smile was just a reflex. But Anna knew in that moment her sister could hear her. And she believed that so deeply, so much so that when workers came to the hospital to try and help them find a facility to transfer Queena to, where they said that she would spend the rest of her life in a vegetative state, Anna and Vanna Refused. Queena may not have been able to see, walk or talk or eat, but her mind was alive and they weren't going to give up on her. They also transferred her to a brain injury rehab center in Sarasota, which really kicked off the beginning of her recovery journey. And there's a lot to say on that and I will get to that. But before diving into it all, I want to share that her attacker was officially found guilty of all of his crimes. In September of 2010, after already being found guilty of attacking that elderly daycare worker, Kendrick Morris went to trial facing charges of sexual assault, assault, battery and kidnapping. Anna and Vanna chose not to bring Kina to the courtroom knowing that by that point in her recovery she would have been able to understand what she was listening to. Because of her traumatic brain injury, she would get these sudden panic attacks called neurostorms. So they wanted to shield her as best as they could. And they actually were told of course, that having Queen of there would help the case against Kendrick. But I'm glad that they put her, her physical safety and well, being above that. They weren't going to put her in any kind of jeopardy. And in the end, after a very brief deliberation, Kendrick Morris was sentenced to two concurrent 65 year sentences. And he did try to get that reduced of course, but that ended up backfiring on him. And this is actually really interesting how this played out. But because of a Supreme Court ruling for a separate case, laws regarding the sentencing of minors had changed. So Kendrick was able to request request a new sentencing hearing. But rather than get his sentence reduced like he was hoping for, he ended up being given life in prison after that, now he will be eligible for parole, although many doubt he will actually ever get that because later he admitted that if he hadn't gotten caught, he would have ended up killing someone. So clearly a danger to society. And, and yes, that new sentence is exactly what he deserves. It's also what Queena's family thinks he deserves. But that's really enough about him. I don't want to waste any more time speaking about what a waste of human existence Kendrick Morris is. Instead, I'd rather end today's episode by telling you about Queena's recovery efforts and about her incredible supporters who have given her a life that doctors initially never thought was possible. For the last decade and a half, Gwena has required around the clock care which her mom has selflessly devoted herself to. If you're watching this episode, you're able to see that she's in a wheelchair and is unable to walk on her own. And like I've said, she also can't see, talk or eat. But still, you can see even in these pictures that her face is still beaming with life. Her smile still gives you so much, even through pictures. And with the help of her mom and sister and of course course, an amazing team of therapists as well, Queena has made unbelievable progress for someone with a traumatic brain injury that's as severe as hers is in therapy. She's able to stand, she's able to walk with assistance, and she is now even gaining more control over some of her head movements. Plus she's making more attempts at vocalizing, which is a huge accomplishment. And I truly have to say these images fall into my top 10 most inspirational photos I've ever seen. After knowing what she went through, Queena is in physical therapy. She's in occupational therapy, speech therapy, aqua therapy and more. And you can just tell that every single person that she works with believes in her and that her strength and positivity just shines through. Even after all of this time of having to do all of this extremely difficult work. You know, it seems like she just shows up every day with the best attitude possible, which given her circumstances, I don't know how someone finds the strength to show up in that way. I think it's just beyond inspirational. And of course her life will never look exactly the way that they all hoped it would, that Queena had imagined. It will never be the same. But Anna is hopeful that maybe one day there will be scientific achievements that can help speed lead Queen as recovery along. But until that day, there's no denying that her mind and her heart are 100 present and positive in everything that she does. And her way of communicating right now is through her facial expressions and sound, specifically laughter, which I think is really beautiful. And that's how you know if Queena likes something or not. And they know that she's very aware of what's going on around her. One of the things that brings me the most joy though, is seeing how her community continues to celebrate her. And my favorite example of that, and I am so excited to tell you this detail, but Queena finally got to go to prom. Throughout her years of treatment, Queena became friends with one of her therapist sons named Derek. And he was a student at Bloomingdale High School. So for his prom, the only person that he wanted to take was Queena. And she even got to be asked. He asked her with a beautiful promposal sign that said Queena prom would be unbearable without you. And he gave her a pink teddy bear to go along with it. And it wasn't just fact that he took her to prom that I find so endearing, but it was how everyone came together to make it so special. Someone anonymously donated $250 for her shoes and accessories. A hair and makeup artist volunteered their services. A seamstress even helped her alter her original prom dress that she never got to wear, the purple one that she was so excited about. And this is so cool. But a local Harley Davidson club also asked to escort her van to the prom in a motorcade kind of fashion.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Queena planned on attending her Senior Prom in 2008. Then came a routine trip to the Bloomingdale Library. It was a routine trip that changed her life. Queena is now 26 and has been through years of rehab. She still can't walk or talk. Her sister Anna explains. When she was asked to the prom, a part of her life was returned to her. You and I take it for granted. Granted, it's called normalcy.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She doesn't get a lot of opportunities to, you know, be a real princess. Typically, she's in her sweatpants doing therapy or visiting a doctor. So today is just all about her having fun.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Queena got her makeup and hair done. Her date Derek, also looking quite dapper. Derek is a Bloomingdale senior who admits Queena's case touched his heart.

[Kendall Rae (Podcast Host)]

I always love seeing people that, you know who have gone through, through such tragedies but find, I would say, the rainbow in the storm. You know, they find the bright side out of it.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

55 motorcycle riders provided the escort for Queena and her date. And while she couldn't see the warm reception, she certainly could hear it. Her sister telling me. While Queena can't put her thoughts and emotions into words, her expression saved at all.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I've never seen her happier. She was ecstatic. I mean, she was just beaming for even days to follow. And as you can see inside now, she's just lit up. She's really, really excited.

[Kendall Rae (Podcast Host)]

And hearing about and seeing those acts of kindness gives you true faith in humanity. That's. I'm sure a lot of you feel this way, too. It's been hard to feel that lately with the state of the world. And it's a big reason why I wanted to tell her story. I think the world needs more people like Derek in it. He made all of that possible. You know, he didn't have to take Kwina to prom. He genuinely wanted to. And I think that is such a beautiful thing to have done. He's become like family to them, I guess. And he's made a really positive impact in Queena's life, which is just so cool. Anna says that the happiest her sister looks is when he's with her and he visits her all the time. He'll put on a movie for them just to listen to together or he'll sit and talk to her for hours. Derek was even Queen as date to Anna's wedding. I also read that he's going to be making a documentary about her story, which I haven't been able to find, but it's possible he's still working on it, it's just not done yet. And then can we also take a moment to appreciate and applaud her mother, Vanna, who has dedicated well over a decade of her life to personally supporting Quinn Queena and her needs, both physically and financially. Neither of those can be easy. I've learned that her care costs approximately $70,000 a year and only of course, a very small percentage of that is actually covered by insurance. So I did want to mention that if you are interested in supporting Queena's care, you can make a donation on their website, which is joinquina.com and that page is also just an awesome resource to learn more about her story. And you can also purchase the memoir that Vanna wrot which is titled the Life She Once Knew and it tells the true story of Queena's attack and her recovery. Vanna said that she wrote it because she wanted to encourage and reassure families that they can survive the worst kinds of tragedies and come out okay on the other end. And that's really been her and Anna's message throughout the years. They're not focusing on why this happened or, you know, giving up when times get hard. Instead, they're putting their efforts into how they can inspire others. And I know I can speak for all of us when I say, say we are inspired. Of course I fully plan to reach out to them and offer them a HOPE Grant through my foundation, Higher Hope, which if you guys didn't know, helping cover the cost of medical expenses such as physical therapy is one of the many ways we are able to show families financial support in the aftermath of a violent crime. And of course, updates on this grant and other grants can always be found on our Instagram at Higher Hope. Org. Once again, I just have to say I am totally in awe of everything that Queena has overcome. For a while there she was being referred to as the Bloomingdale Library Victim. But over the years that title has rightfully changed the Bloomingdale Library Survivor. And she is truly the definition of a survivor. I hope you guys feel as inspired by Queena's story as I have been. Even though her attack is terrifying and her story is really hard to, you know, absorb been to think about her strength and perseverance and the community around her and her family have just really left me feeling really good, really warm and I needed that right now. So I was really thankful to have found her story and to be able to share it with all of you guys. And if you want to see more survival stories and cases like this, please let me know know because I really love doing them and I think there are so many people out there whose stories deserve more. Eyes on them deserve a bigger platform and I would love to be part of that. That is going to be it for me today. Guys. Thank you for joining me for another episode and make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple podcasts. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of this show you can find it on my YouTube channel which will be linked or you can just search Kendall Rae. I will be back with another episode soon, but until then stay safe out there.

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