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Amedy with her mother, Lisa.
Teen shot by stepfather continues to recover.
The following story has been posted by permission from the Midland Daily News.
By Kate Carlson, Midland Daily News.
The 18-year-old paused, and matter-of-factly stated her reasoning behind the eye color selection.
“If you’re going to be different, you might as well embrace it,” said Amedy Dewey. “I’ve always wanted blue eyes. I might as well get one.”
Soon Amedy will be sporting a blue glass eye in her left socket to replace the one she lost. Amedy’s sunny disposition as she explained how she is legally blind and will soon undergo facial reconstruction surgery is inspiring to say the least.
In early January, the Midland High School senior was on her way home from Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids after a vacation to celebrate her 18th birthday. Amedy was riding in the car bound for Midland with her mother, Lisa (Foster) Somers, and her stepfather, David Somers. But soon after leaving Grand Rapids, David reportedly shot Amedy and Lisa before turning the gun on himself.
Lisa, 50, and David, 51, both residents of Kaleva in Manistee County, were pronounced dead at the scene. Amedy was shot in the face, but survived, with severe injuries from a shotgun slug.
Almost two months later, Amedy is still in recovery. In between hospital visits she is staying with her father in western Michigan in the house she grew up in.
“I thank everyone for their support and donations,” said Bob Dewey. “Keep her in your prayers. I’m glad my baby girl is here, it could have been a lot worse.”
A spaghetti luncheon is being organized by family members from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 700 E. Bryant Road in Ludington. Raffles, a bake sale, and silent auction proceeds from the luncheon will go toward Amedy’s medical costs.
People who want to donate but are unable to attend the benefit can send monetary donations or cards to Amedy Dewey at P.O. Box 1102, Midland, MI 48641.
“I call her ‘Amazing Amedy,'” said Becki Hoon of Midland. “This is a miracle she’s alive. She’s alive for a reason.”
Hoon and Lisa Somers were close childhood friends growing up in Ludington and into adulthood. Lisa gave Hoon temporary guardianship of Amedy in September 2017 as she went through marital issues. Amedy stayed with Hoon and attended Midland High School from September until the shooting.
The plan on Jan. 6 was for Amedy to be driven to Hoon’s house. At 9 p.m., just before the shooting, Hoon spoke to Amedy on the phone, she said, because she felt uncomfortable about David Somers driving Lisa Somers and Amedy home.
“I just had this feeling as a parent,” Hoon said. “Lisa wanted to confront (David). If she would have even thought he would have done something like this, she wouldn’t have put Amedy in that position.”
Instead of continuing to live with Hoon, Amedy made the choice to stay with her father after the shooting, but still keeps in touch with Hoon and updates her on her recovery.
“To be honest, it’s been really hard being positive,” Amedy said. “But if I’m not strong, no one else around me will be strong.”
Something that’s been reassuring to Amedy throughout her recovery is the strong support she’s gotten from her family and friends.
“I feel like everything happens for a reason, it has opened a lot of people’s eyes and made them very thankful for what they have,” Amedy said. “I have a lot of people that support me.”
In the few months that Amedy Dewey attended Midland High, she cheered competitively, improved her grade point average and was considering trying out for the soccer team. The high school, its cheer team and other cheer teams in the area are among groups that have supported Amedy and her family financially with her medical costs.
Hoon said she respects Amedy’s decision to stay with her father, but knows she was really looking forward to graduating as a Midland High student.
“She’s a Chemic,” Hoon said. “Once you’re a Chemic, you’re always a Chemic.”
Amedy is just six credits short of graduating high school and plans to complete her classes online at nearby Mason County Central High School. From there, she plans on going to college and pursuing her goal of becoming a radio host or working in broadcasting in some capacity.
Amedy has hope she can get some of her vision back. In six to eight weeks she will undergo reconstructive surgery on her face at the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor.
Her family is expecting a large turnout at the spaghetti luncheon from what they’ve heard so far, Amedy said. She is still deciding if she will “pop in and say ‘hi'” to everyone at the luncheon, she said.
“People have been very good to me,” Amedy said. “I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate everyone.”
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