When Alixus Hearn returned to Northeast Lauderdale’s softball field for senior night last week, it was the first time in months that the Lady Trojans senior clutched a softball or bat.

Aided by her black wheelchair, a silver walker and friends, Hearn threw out the ceremonial first pitch and batted lead-off for Northeast Lauderdale’s game against Wayne County.

Hearn donned her white-and-red No. 13 jersey for the occasion, which, six months and countless prayers ago, would have seemed inconceivable.

“It felt good to be out there and actually do something on the field,” Hearn said.

Hearn doesn’t remember leaving Northeast Lauderdale High School in early October, nor does she recall getting into her vehicle to head home before her softball game that evening.

The experience of being flown by helicopter from Meridian to the University of Mississippi Medical Center also escapes her memory.

What Hearn can’t remember due to the trauma of a severe accident, Northeast Lauderdale assistant principal Emily Lee can.

Not long after Hearn left school that afternoon, Lee and Northeast Lauderdale High School student resource officer Kara Clark exited the cafeteria as lunch concluded. As Lee and Clark walked, the ambulance and sheriff’s vehicle barreling down Briarwood Road grabbed their attention.

“That immediately piqued her interest, so she listened to her radio,” Lee said of Clark. “And she said, ‘Oh, my God, Emily, do you know an Alixus Hearn?’ And I stopped, and I said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘Get in the car — now.’”

Hearn never made it home that afternoon — or for more than a month and a half. During her drive home, her vehicle flipped and the impact of the crash ejected her from the automobile. The accident left her fourth and fifth thoracic vertebra twisted and bruised, paralyzing her. After the first responders, Lee and Clark were the first people to arrive at the accident scene.

“I got to her, and they looked at me and they said, ‘It’s really bad — she’s non-responsive, she’s not doing well,” Lee said. “I immediately got this horrified disbelief.”

’13 Strong’

Hearn was flown to University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she underwent surgery. From there, she was moved to Select Specialty Hospital and Methodist Rehabilitation Center. Miles away, Northeast Lauderdale forged ahead in its slow-pitch softball season.

No. 13 was spray painted in white on her spot in the outfield, and Hearn’s No. 13 jersey hung in the dugout during Lady Trojans’ games. The chant “13 Strong” became the team’s rally cry.

Hearn’s coaches, teachers and friends visited her in Jackson, and when they couldn’t, phone calls and text message alerts constantly buzzed on her cell phone to serve as a reminder that she wasn’t alone.

“It was good just knowing the city, the school, everybody, supported me in everything,” Hearn said. “My friends, oh, my gosh, they have been there through everything, and I just love each and every last one of them to death.”

Northeast Lauderdale slow-pitch coach Tyler Vick, along with fast-pitch coach Travis Cornish and assistant coach Stacia Wheat, was among the first to visit Hearn in Jackson. Although she was unable to speak at the time, Vick made sure she heard his encouraging message. Seeing the player he came to know and grew close to lie helpless tugged hard on his emotions.

“We went over and visited with them a few days after it happened, and it was tough,” Vick said. “You know her, and you’ve seen her for so many years, and she’s always so full of joy and fun to be around. She was unresponsive then, and at that point, we weren’t really sure about everything that was going to take place. We just told her we were here and we were with her and behind her, and if anybody could come out of it, she could, because of the type of person she is.”

The road back

Hearn’s body is now confined to her black wheelchair, but her mind and affable personality remain intact.

When talking with Hearn’s coaches and friends, the first quality they espouse is her positive attitude. Vick has experienced it for four years, and Cornish, who is in his first year as the Lady Trojans’ slow-pitch coach, said it’s something he quickly noticed.

“The thing about Lex is you can count on her to be the same, every single day at practice — always in a good mood, always the same,” Cornish said. “No matter what’s going on in her life or what went on in school that day, she came to practice and got after it every single day.”

Hearn returned to school in January, just three months after the accident. Her softball teammates weren’t the only ones who welcomed her back. The day of her arrival, the Northeast Lauderdale student body and faculty members met her in the parking lot with signs and posters.

In November, Northeast Lauderdale, along with several other schools, held a hit-a-thon and home run derby at Northeast Park to help with medical expenses. Northeast Lauderdale has held additional fundraisers, and the school plans to hold more, with the hopes of providing the family with sufficient compensation to cover medical expenses and purchase a wheelchair-compatible van.

“It felt good just knowing the whole school was behind me 100 percent,” Hearn said. “And with me coming back on the first day, it just showed me all of the love that they had.”

Looking ahead

Hearn is unable to walk, but she continues to improve. Her rehabilitation regimen includes physical therapy three days a week. She has attended a handful of Northeast Lauderdale softball games and practices, and in May, she’ll graduate with her classmates.

Hearn’s resilience hasn’t only inspired the Lady Trojans’ softball team. It’s spilled into the Northeast Lauderdale community.

“It’s definitely shown us how quickly things can be taken away, and how quickly our abilities that we have been blessed with can just change,” said Carrie Grace Baty, a Northeast Lauderdale junior and softball player.

“It’s definitely made us strive to do better, work harder and give 100 percent in everything that we do, and always play the game and practice like it could be your last time ever because she definitely didn’t expect that last game she played at Wayne County to be her last.”

Lady Trojans junior and fellow softball player Jimmyia Smith said Hearn’s optimism has been just as instrumental as any medical procedure or rehabilitation.

“Really, she kept herself positive,” Smith said. “Of course I texted her and talked her and (told her) we’re here for you, we love you, and all that good stuff, but Lex and her family have really done a good job keeping her spirits up and keeping her pumped.”

Hearn possesses a maturity that defies her young age. Her life-altering event hasn’t made her bitter or impeded the pursuit of her goals.

Rather, the October crash has given her a clearer focus, and it’s made her value things most take for granted.

“It was life-changing,” Hearn said. “It showed me you just have to open your eyes to everything. You can have a 360 turn, and you just have to appreciate life more while you’re still here. You have to appreciate it more, and that’s what I’ve been doing.”

To contribute, please contact Northeast Lauderdale assistant principal Emily Lee at 601-679-8532.