After spending nearly four months in the hospital following a car crash, a Canastota girl will finally return home this Wednesday. While she has been recovering, village residents have been holding benefits to help support her family, and as our Candace Hopkins reports, her thousands of supporters are planning to welcome her home in a big way.

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

CANASTOTA, N.Y. -- Nearly everywhere you turn in Canastota are reminders of the village's strong support for Emily Simmons, and her family.

"This is a small town, so everyone tries to pull together to help families in need, and they're just very good people, liked by everyone, and everyone pulls together," said Lisa Piccano Simmons' family friend.

A May car crash left Emily with serious injuries, and the road to recovery has been filled with highs and lows, as she fell in and out of a coma, and battled back against a severe head injury.

"Emily has had a few set backs, so the family has been up with her the whole time, and all her friends and supporters in town have tried to go up and visit the family, and give them some support also," said Piccano.

That support has shown up in a big way, with village residents holding several fundraisers for the Simmons family.

"You would like to think if it was your own family in that situation that there would be other people out there hoping, and praying, and helping your family, and that's just what we do," said Piccano.

Now Emily has finally progressed enough to return home, to continue her recovery. On Wednesday evening Emily will be welcomed home in grand fashion, as her supporters line the street decked out in purple, her favorite color.

Even her transportation will be special, with Caz Limo and Tours shuttling her back from her Albany-area hospital.

"It's going to make a little bit of difference in her family, but I think it's gonna make a huge difference in the community out there, because they're going to be able to bring her home in style, and it sounds like that's exactly what she needs to do," said Mike Russert, Caz Limo Account Executive.

In all, thousands are expected to pull together to shower Emily in love and support. A bake sale and bottle and can drive will also be held this Sunday at the Canastota Tops to benefit the Simmons family. Wednesday's parade is expected to begin around 5:00 p.m. and will travel down Peterboro Street.