LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)- A blood drive is being organized in Lafayette for LSU coach Katie Guillory, who lost her lower leg in a jet skiing accident on July 4.

The accident occurred on the Blind River in Baton Rouge when Guillory was wakeboarding behind a jet ski and fell due to a large wave, resulting in the tow rope wrapping around her leg.

Katie's mother, Cindy Guillory, said her daughter is a warrior and that mentality is the reason she is still alive today.

"She's strong, she's tough, she's going to go somewhere with this prosthetic," said Guillory.

Cindy Guillory described the accident and explained that Katie was wakeboarding with friends when they hit a huge wave, causing her to fall off the ski. It was only when she attempted to get back on the jet ski that she realized she had lost her foot.

"It was in a low canal, they were pulling, they were wakeboarding behind a jet ski, and she had just finished wake boarding and they were on their way to eat lunch when they hit a huge wave and they fell off, she fell off the ski and she did not know that she lost her foot until she got ready to get up on jet ski," said Guillory.

Katie was rushed to a Baton Rouge hospital where she underwent emergency surgery to amputate the lower part of her left leg. Despite the severity of the injury, her mother said she is making remarkable progress in rehabilitation, advancing faster than expected.

"She is flying through, each and every chapter that she's going through and any step that she's going through, she has been way before the process," said Guillory.

Cindy Guillory emphasized her daughter's resilience and determination, noting that Katie is inspiring others, particularly fellow amputees, with her story.

"She just wants people to know that even though something tragic like this happens, God has a better plan for you," Cindy said.

The blood drive will be held at the South College Shopping Center in Lafayette on Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All proceeds will go towards Katie's medical expenses.

The family also has set up a GoFundMe page for Katie's road to recovery.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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