Melaina Gargano comes home after 33 days in the hospital, her mom reports

The Ward Melville grad lost her right leg following a crash in Arizona last month

Melaina Gargano — the Ward Melville alumna and college senior whose fight to survive a devastating crash in Arizona and then to save her leg moved Long Island to open its hearts and wallets — is back home.

In a Facebook post this week, her mother, Victoria, announced that after 33 days in the hospital and eight days of rehabilitation, her daughter returned to her South Setauket on Monday.

“Melaina is finally coming home today,” Victoria Gargano wrote in the message, which she shared publicly on social media on Monday. “She completed 8 days of rehab and is ready to be back with her family and friends.”

The announcement marks the latest chapter in a story that captured Long Island’s attention after Gargano, 22, an Arizona State University student, was critically injured in a Feb. 25 crash the family has described as involving a suspected drunk driver.

The collision left her right leg so severely damaged — three inches of her tibia missing, her fibula fractured, and most of the skin and muscle destroyed — that doctors initially recommended immediate amputation.

Refusing to accept that outcome, her family located a specialized limb salvage center at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia and launched an emergency GoFundMe that has raised $130,000 via more than 1,500 contributions.

Melaina Gargano was airlifted east for a fifth surgery. But it was not enough, and the family announced earlier this month that her right leg had been amputated.

Through it all, Gargano’s spirit remained unbroke. Her mother said that hasn’t changed.

“To every person who has prayed, donated, visited her, or sent gifts, flowers, or candy — thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Gargano’s mother wrote. “Your kindness and love carried our family through the hardest days.”

Victoria Gargano asked supporters to continue keeping her daughter in their prayers as she enters what the family is calling a new chapter.

“May she stay strong, resilient, and filled with hope as she steps into this new chapter,” she wrote. “From Melaina and our family, we are endlessly grateful for your love and support.”

_{Top: Melaina Gargano (center) with her siblings and parents (Facebook).}

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