There will be a special homecoming for a medically retired US Army Sergeant in a Lithia neighborhood next week.
Sergeant Katie Thomas was medically retired from the military after a tragic accident left her minimally conscious.
Thomas, 29, has been at the Tampa VA where she's undergoing treatment from an anoxic brain injury.
While stationed in Hawaii, Thomas was in a jeep accident while driving in the mud with her boyfriend that left them with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Thomas's boyfriend did not make it.
Her mother, Kathy Powers relocated to Tampa for the brain injury resources in the Tampa area.
Powers has dedicated her time to renovating her home to help make it comfortable for Katie to transition home. With the help of grants, Powers received a renovation home grant and a grant for a wheelchair accessible grant.
Thomas will likely need 24/7 care for the rest of her life as she can not speak and is wheelchair bound.
However, the past few months, Thomas has improved greatly, and next Monday she will finally get to go home for a homecoming she's never received.
Hundreds of neighbors and strangers in her Lithia Ridge neighborhood are planning to line the streets to welcome Katie home.
The event begins at 5:30.
There is an event Facebook page with more information -- it can be found here.
