Emily Bowman Golf Tournament Raises $10,000

A golf tournament and silent auction held for a Woodstock woman who was the victim of a hit-and-run accident garnered thousands of dollars.

The Emily Bowman Charity Golf Tournament held on Monday at Bradshaw Farms in Hickory Flat raised nearly $10,000 that will be used towards the young woman's medical costs, according to WSB-TV. 

Bowman appears to me making some progress towards recover. Debbie Bowman on Oct. 9 wrote on the Bows for Bowman Facebook page that her daughter's eye movement and tracking appears to be "so much better."

"She actually moves to look at you when you are talking," she added. "Her head control is doing better. She seems to be really trying and occasionally will move her head from right to left if you can catch her at good time. But you can feel her muscles trying to kick in in her neck."

She also said her daughter is starting to grasps objects with her right hand, has lifted her arm on her own at times and is starting to move her legs as well. 

The family is waiting on a stander to come in so Bowman can begin to bear weight on her feet again. 

"So these are all just small things happening, but they are huge to us," she wrote. 

Bowman, a former Kennesaw State University student and Woodstock High School graduate, had been hospitalized in critical condition at Athens Regional Medical Center between Feb. 16 and March 8 when she was hit by a pick-up truck as she and a friend walked along Oak Street.

They were walking on the grassy shoulder, Athens-Clarke County investigators believe, when a pickup driven by William Wilson Heaton left the road and then hit Bowman from behind as he returned the vehicle to the road. He left the area and abandoned the truck, police believe. 

Heaton was arrested and charged with hit-and-run, driving under the influence, serious injury by vehicle, failure to maintain lane, reckless driving, and open container. 

In June, he was indicted by a Clarke County Grand Jury on 13 counts, including DUI, open container, reckless driving, serious injury by vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report the accident and failure to maintain lane. 

Bowman was released from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite and returned home to a newly renovated home. 

The renovations, done by Roswell-based Sunshine on a Ranney Day, include converting the den on the main level into a room for her mother, which will allow her to be close to her daughter; converting the dining room into a bedroom for Bowman when she returns; remodeled a half-bathroom on the main level into a full handicap-accessible bathroom; remove carpeting and install new flooring in the main areas to accommodate Bowman's wheelchair; constructing a wheelchair ramp outside the front door of the home; and furnishing and decorating each of the new rooms. 

Don't miss any news from Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch! Subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here. Also, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!