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One of the ‘Dancing Grannies’ injured in the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack performed for her caregivers after making a full recovery.
Betty Streng, a member of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies dance troupe, gave a special performance for her doctors and nurses at Aurora St Luke’s Medical Center.
The Grannies were performing in the Waukesha Christmas Parade when Darrell Brooks drove an SUV into the parade route, plowing over pedestrians.
Streng was among the injured, suffering traumatic brain injury and multiple skull fractures. She was rushed to the hospital, where neurosurgeon Dr Christopher Sarkiss performed an emergency craniotomy.
Several members of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies dance troupe were killed in the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack in November 2021 (Picture: Facebook)
Streng spent the next 10 days recovering in the ICU. She was finally discharged from the hospital two weeks after the deadly attack, but still had to go through months of rehab and physical therapy.
‘The fact that I’m here walking, talking, and dancing, proves Dr. Sarkiss does very good work,’ Streng told WTMJ. ‘I’m very thankful for him, and everyone who helped me recover.’
Three of the six people killed in the attack were members of the Dancing Grannies, including Virginia ‘Ginny’ Sorenson, the group’s founder and choreographer. The other Grannies included LeAnna Owen and Tamara Durand.
The Dancing Grannies performed an impromptu parade in the Aurora St Luke’s Medical Center parking lot for hospital workers (Picture: Facebook)
Another victim was Wilhelm Hospel, the husband of Grannie member Lola Hospel and frequent volunteer with the group.
Darrell Brooks was arrested shortly after the attack and charged with six counts of first-degree homicide, 61 counts of reckless endangerment, and 6 counts of hit-and-run causing death.
On trial, Brooks represented himself. He was prone to frequent outbursts and strange courtroom antics, including removing his clothes, hiding behind a box fort, and falling asleep.
Dr Christopher Sarkiss performed emergency brain surgery on Betty Streng, likely saving her life (Picture: Facebook)
He was found guilty of all charges on October 26.
‘Justice has been served and the Grannies are grateful to ALL who supported seeing the legal process through this point,’ the Grannies stated shortly after the verdict was handed down. ‘We will grow and we will always be Grannie Strong!’
They also announced that they were getting ready to perform for the 2022 holiday season, starting on November 12.
The Grannies will once again perform at the Waukesha Christmas Parade this year too, currently scheduled for December 4.
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The Grannies were performing in the Waukesha Christmas Parade when Darrell Brooks drove an SUV into the parade route, plowing over pedestrians.