A tale of faith, family, friends

Most people know the story of Harry Potter, or "the boy who lived," and his triumph against the evil Lord Voldemort. Many people in Utah also know something about Kim Lingard, or "the girl who survived," and her triumph against evil.

The evil in Kim's story is not fictional, of course. Kim was shot early last June while working at a laudromat in Grantsville. The gunman, Richard Wilson, then shot another woman before taking his own life in a stand-off with police.

Kim was admitted to University Hospital the night of June 9 with two gunshot wounds -- one to her right shoulder and one to her head. The latter nearly hit a vital artery to the brain. Family and friends gathered at the hospital, awaiting any news on her condition.

Today, the memories of those tense nights and uneasy days seem far away, as Kim, having spent most of the summer in the hospital, is now back at Grantsville High School.

Kim has changed very little in appearance. Although her long blonde hair had to be shaved so that surgery could be performed, the bright blue eyes and eager smile remain.

Of her new short and spiky hair, she says, laughing, "Couldn't they have just done surgery around my hair? It's the 21st century!" But her friends say the new style suits her.

Kim's right arm still has some weakness from one gunshot, and the hearing in one ear was taken by the other shot -- but that doesn't seem to slow her down. Between high school and concurrent college classes, piano lessons and other activities, Kim is pretty busy these days. She found a few minutes recently to answer some questions.

Lisa Christensen: How has the shooting changed your life?

Kim Lingard: Tough question. More than anything else my perspective has changed. That I can draw, dance, play the piano and finish high school -- the miracles amaze me. It's too easy to forget how close the Lord really is.

Lisa: And what do you think will be different about school this year?

Kim: I'm a senior, I'm taking college classes. That's about it.

Lisa: What did you think when you first woke up in the hospital?

Kim: I kept thinking "What did I do?" I knew that I was at work but I thought there must have been an explosion with the gas dryers at the laundromat. I didn't check for burns. But, hey, it was a good guess.

Lisa: Any advice for teens about what to say to someone who has been through something terrible?

Kim: I would say that in life there are always good things and there are always bad things. I think that, especially when the bad things happen, it's important to look for the good things.

Lisa: What helped you the most?

Kim: My faith, my family and my friends.

Lisa: What good has come from this horrible event?

Kim: My faith in miracles has been reinforced. I think for a lot of people it has.

Lisa Christensen is a senior at Grantsville High School and a member of the Deseret Morning News Pulse team of high school writers. If you are a Utah high school student and have a topic you would like to see covered, please e-mail pulse@desnews.com or write to Susan Whitney at the Deseret Morning News.

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