Tire rim flies through windshield, severely injuring teen on way to My Chemical Romance concert

SAN FRANCISCO -- What was supposed to be a fun night out in San Francisco for a mother and daughter from Fresno, ended with more than a week in the hospital and several surgeries.

Emma Fulton, 14, was so excited to see her favorite band, My Chemical Romance, perform at Oracle Park on Saturday, but she never made it.

"She's listening to bands I grew up to, so it's really neat," said mother Danielle Shackelford, 41.

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Fulton and Shackelford were on their way into the city, listening to the band's playlist, and had just picked up Taco Bell for dinner. Just before 8:30 p.m., they were getting ready to merge onto I-580 outside of Tracy.

"Everything changed in a second," said Danielle. "Just out of nowhere in a split second."

Shackelford heard what sounded like an explosion, and when she looked to check on her daughter in the passenger seat, she was horrified at what she saw.

"There's this metal rim off a tire that is on top of her," Shackelford explained through tears. "I pulled it off of her and there was no response... and I just started to scream."

Shackelford managed to pull over and call 911 for help.

The next 15 minutes felt like an eternity to Shackelford, as her daughter lay there with her eyes blank and mouth open.

"All of a sudden, she looked over and grabbed my hand and said, 'Are you OK?'" said Shackelford. "As soon as first responders got there, I jumped out, begged them to save her and they went into action. They stabilized her and got her into that ambulance."

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The next nine days were spent between San Joaquin General Hospital and UC Davis Medical Center.

"It wasn't real life, you know, like any moment I was going to wake up and it was just one horrible nightmare," said Shackelford.

Fulton's injuries range from her head, face and chest, to her abdomen. While many are visible, her mother is most worried about what you can't see, including a fractured skull, liver laceration and even internal bleeding. Fulton had to undergo several surgeries, including skull reconstruction.

"I don't think I slept for 40 hours straight, just by her bedside in case she needed something," said Shackelford.

While in the hospital, the Tracy Fire Department surprised Fulton with a card, flowers and even a T-shirt.

"The firefighters that were on scene were just absolutely amazing. They calmed me down, said, 'We're all fathers. We got you,'" said Shackelford.

Shackelford also praised the medical team at the hospital.

"Bless those nurses, doctors [and] surgeons," said Shackelford.

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Fulton is looking at six to nine months of recovery, with many follow-up doctor appointments, physical therapy and occupational therapy. She'll miss the start of the first year of high school.

"I get an extra-long summer break," joked Fulton.

"She has a good way of looking at the bright side, so I'm really thankful," said Shackelford. "She keeps me grounded."

Some day, Fulton even hopes to celebrate getting past this chapter.

"She wants to have a survival party," said Shackelford, as Fulton laughed. "With eyeballs on the cake, scar down the middle, silly things!"

Fulton and Shackelford hope they'll get to redo their girls' trip one day and finally make it to see My Chemical Romance.

"We'll make it to that concert at one point or another, right?" said Shackelford.

A GoFundMe page set up for Fulton has raised over $18,000. The fundraiser will help with medical expenses.