Rickey Smiley's Daughter Opens up about Her Experience after Undergoing Surgery for Gunshot Wounds

Rickey Smiley’s daughter shared her fears about being alone in the hospital amid COVID-19 restrictions after undergoing surgery for her gunshot wounds.

Rickey Smiley's youngest daughter, Aaryn, had just celebrated her 19th birthday when she was shot on her way to buy a meal at Whataburger in Houston.

Aaryn was caught in the crossfire of a shooting and was struck by three bullets in her leg. Three men in a separate vehicle were also wounded, but there were no fatalities reported.

Rickey shocked his co-hosts during "The Rickey Smiley Morning Show" when he shared the tragic news about his daughter being shot. He recalled the conversation he had with Aaryn as she prepared for surgery the morning after the incident, he said:

"She's just crying, she's scared, I can't get to her and I just hate it."

After arriving in Houston, Rickey shared a photo of himself standing outside of the hospital Aaryn was receiving her care. He revealed that COVID-19 restrictions had barred him from entering the building.

However, the proud father remained committed to supporting his daughter and spent hours in the hospital's parking lot. He said that despite it getting dark outside, he wasn't going to leave until he got a chance to look at Aaryn.

Aaryn has been posting updates from her hospital bed on her Instagram story. She shared details of her injury. The 19-year-old said she was shot by armored rifle bullets that were designed with the power to penetrate ballistic armor.

As she reflected on how grateful she was to be alive, Aaryn revealed that one of the bullets that could have hit her in the head ended up lodged in her car.

Aaryn said that the shooting was the scariest thing she has ever experienced in her life. While sharing a photo from her hospital bed, she admitted:

"[The] scariest part of all of this is the fact that I’m alone. they won't let me see my parents or anyone come in because of covid. I'm terrified."

Rickey shared with his fans that Aaryn's surgery was successful. Aaryn also gave an update and revealed that she had undergone her second surgery on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old said that she had managed to get 30 minutes of sleep, which was the most he had gained since arriving at the hospital. Aaryn also shared that a Chewy granola bar was the first meal she had been to keep down in days.