Greene Turtle Fundraiser For Tina Frost, Las Vegas Victim

CROFTON, MD — Tina Frost, the Arundel High School graduate and Crofton native who was shot Oct. 1 at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas, is recovering from recent facial and brain surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. That has slowed some of her physical recovery, family members said online. To help with expenses tied to her lengthy hospital stay, a birthday fundraiser will be held Thursday, Nov. 30, at the Gambrills Greene Turtle.

Beginning at 11 a.m. Thursday, the restaurant at 2383 Brandermill Boulevard will donate 20 percent of all sales toward the Kristina Frost Trust Fund. Also, Frost's family will hold a silent auction from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. that night at the venue with T-shirts and other items available for purchase that will go directly to her trust fund. "Join us on this special day as we come together to support our friend, Tina Frost," the restaurant says.

Another Gambrills restaurant — Grotto Pizza at 2404 Brandermill Blvd. — will host a fundraiser for Frost from 4 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 14. Find details on the Tina Tough Facebook page.

Earlier this month Frost, a former soccer star, was shown in videos getting out of bed on her own, walking and eating, all milestones as she recovers. Frost, 27, is a 2008 graduate of Arundel High School. She was shot in the right eye, which doctors removed in surgery in Las Vegas. She had traveled to the country music festival with her boyfriend from San Diego, where she works for an accounting firm.

Her family posted on their GoFundMe page Nov. 21 that surgery to reconstruct Frost’s forehead has constricted her brain and "her emotions are getting the best of her, and quite honestly, us as well. Her physical, occupational and psychological therapies have slowed down significantly, but her speech therapy is still going well."

Frost was flown on a medical transport jet and admitted to Johns Hopkins Oct. 15 to continue her recovery close to her family, her mother, Mary Watson Moreland, wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to "cover all expenses related to this tragic event such as traveling, food, hotels, missed work, and caring for Tina."

On Oct. 19 Frost underwent a second surgery to help reconstruct her skull and help prevent infection. After fevers and other complications, her recovery is picking up speed and she is out of intensive care, says the page. Family members noted Frost had started to write on a whiteboard, tries to walk on her own, and now that she's in a private room with its own bath, "likes jumping out of bed on her own, forcing us and the nurses to scramble to assist."

By early November she had baked cookies, kicked and thrown a rubber ball, walked the halls without assistance, spoken more words and began eating on her own and painted an eyepatch to wear, the family said online.

"Thank you for the overwhelming support and especially the prayers that have been lifted for Tina. We hope you understand that we still are not ready for a lot of visitors, only close family and friends, as Tina always tries to be her polite and sweet self, but it truly exhausts her. Please continue to pray in the days ahead and we'll continue to keep you posted every few days."

In the coming weeks she will continue physical, occupational and speech therapies, and the surgical teams will decide what procedures may be needed.

A family spokeswoman told WTOP that Frost's tracheotomy tube has been adjusted so she can speak. That will help doctors assess any brain damage she has suffered.

"The front parts of the brain control judgment and personality. It definitely seems like her personality is there. They'll obviously test for judgment and other things," family spokeswoman Amy Klinger told WTOP.

In another sign of progress, Frost passed a soccer ball back and forth with her father while standing; the area where she was shot affects balance, so the soccer display could be another good sign.

Occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy are all working with Frost, whom her family called "a true warrior."

She took her first steps on Oct. 13, her family said.

To date, $606,356 has been donated on the GoFundMe site to help Frost with medical expenses.

Image of Tina Frost via GoFundMe