(CNN) — Less than two weeks after she was brutally stabbed, a 12-year-old Wisconsin girl is home recuperating and feeling well enough to tease her younger brother, her family says.
“Her physical wounds, thankfully, are healing more quickly than anticipated and her pain is decreasing daily,” the family said in a statement. “For that, we are so grateful.”
The family has designated Tuesday as “Go Purple” day. It’s the survivor’s favorite color and the family is asking supporters to wear it.
The family has asked that the victim not be named for her safety and because she is a minor.
Purple is also part of the theme of the official #HeartsForHealing fundraiser for the victim and her family.
The campaign has raised more than $42,000 toward its goal of $250,000, and has also resulted in an outpouring of homemade purple hearts to be delivered to the girl and her family.
“The messages that people are including in their hearts, the time and effort that they’re putting into some of these projects, it was absolutely incredible,” Dana Hoffman, a family friend and spokeswoman and one of the organizers of the Hearts for Healing campaign, told CNN’s “New Day.”
The girl’s family said it is “overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from the surrounding community, across the country, and even overseas.”
The attack
The ordeal began May 31 when the girl went into the woods near her home in Waukesha to play hide-and-seek with two of her friends.
Authorities said one girl held the victim down while another stabbed her 19 times, allegedly so that the attackers could impress a fictitious character called Slenderman that often appears in horror stories, videos and images.
One of the girls encountered the name on a website known as Creepypasta Wiki. One of the suspects told police that Slenderman is the site’s supposed leader, and to climb into his realm, a user must kill someone.
A bicyclist found the wounded girl alive.
The suspects, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, were arrested hours later, according to a criminal complaint. They are charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
The 12-year-olds are being charged as adults, and bail is set at $500,000 for each, Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel said.
The recovery
The victim is sleeping better at night, her family said. But she gets tired and overwhelmed easily.
“Since coming home, our daughter has enjoyed spending time outside and getting fresh air as well as running a few quick errands with her mom,” the statement said.
“She spent time watching many episodes of ‘Full House’ alongside her ‘guard pets’, which consist of a family dog and two cats. Like any older sister, she has also managed to continue teasing her younger brother.”
The family has had a few conversations about what happened that day, Hoffman said, mostly focused on how the girl found the strength to crawl out of the woods where she was attacked and seek help.
“I was taken aback by the strength this little girl has,” Hoffman said.
