SEATTLE -- "It feels like you're getting your dad back," smiled April McLaughry at Harborview Medical Center Friday.
On December 15 her father, 61-year-old Mount Vernon police officer Mike McClaughry, was shot in the head by an alleged gang member.
Just three weeks later he is out of the ICU and has now been upgraded to serious condition. He is not fully conscious, but does have moments of comprehension.
"I'm pleasantly surprised," said his brain surgeon, Dr. Randy Chestnut.
Family members say McClaughry has been opening his eyes, even smiling.
"When he gets that smile, he knows what you're talking about," said April. "That itself is great to experience."
An even more encouraging step came Thursday when McClaughry spoke his first full sentence.
"My wife asked him how he was doing and he said, 'I really will be glad when I feel better.' We just stepped back...I was shocked," said McClaughry's brother, Steve.
While McClaughry's recovery has been steady, significant obstacles remain.
He still has an unpredictable blood clot in his brain, is on a feeding tube, and the full extent of lasting damage is unknown. The entire family, however, believes that McClaughry's toughness will see him through.
"He wants out of there," said April. "He wants to get out of there now, so he'll do it."
A fundraiser for the family is scheduled for Saturday, January 14. Mount Vernon native and Hollywood actor Chad Lindberg, of "The Fast and The Furious," fame is sponsoring a showing of that film at the Lincoln Theater in downtown Mount Vernon. For information on tickets click here.
