Ava and Amy Jones adjusting to life at home in Nickerson after weeks in Kentucky hospital

NICKERSON, Kan. (KWCH) - Nickerson High School basketball star Ava Jones and her mother, Amy, are continuing their recoveries at home after spending weeks in a Louisville, Kentucky hospital. In early July, Ava, Amy, Ava’s father and her little brother were in Louisville for Ava’s basketball tournament. While walking on the sidewalk, a car hit them. Police said the driver was impaired.

Ava and Amy suffered critical injuries. Ava’s father, Trey Jones, died from his injuries. Ava’s little brother, Creek, suffered minor injuries. Monday, Eyewitness News sat down with the family and spoke with Ava and Amy about being home in Nickerson.

Returning home wasn’t easy for the mother and daughter. Every corner of their home is a reminder of Trey, their husband and father.

“Coming back home without my dad was a bit nerve-wracking, but it was good to see my brothers,” Ava said.

Amy said her main focus has been on healing physically.

“Just focusing on getting better has been my main focus, and then I know we’ll have to think about missing Trey. Obviously, he’s everywhere in this house. It’s going to be hard,” she said. “He built this whole house, mowed the yard, cooked. “(He) would do anything for anybody.”

Ava and Amy say they don’t remember much about what happened surrounding the crash in Louisville. Amy said she hasn’t forgotten the moment she was told Trey didn’t make it.

“They said, ‘do you know where you are?’” Amy recalled. “And I had no idea what was going on. And when we got to Frazier (the hospital), our family was there and let us know what happened. And it just, didn’t seem real.”

The recovery process has been difficult for Ava and Amy as the two go through hours of physical therapy each day.

“Get better; that’s what he would want,” Ava said of her father. “That’s the (main) thing that he would want is me getting better, my mom getting better.”

Ava, committed to play basketball at the University of Iowa, said she doesn’t know if or when she’ll be able to get back on the court. She said she’ll work her hardest to make it happen.

The University of Iowa is honoring Ava’s scholarship even if she can’t play. While the mother and daughter continue to recover, they say what happened last month doesn’t feel real.

“We were just in Louisville for four days, that was our plan,” Amy said. “Watching Ava play basketball, then go home. Then I was going to start work, and it just changed our whole lives.”

Coming home looks different, but Ava and Amy say they’re glad to have their community.

To help the family with their continued recovery, you can contribute on their GoFundMe page.