Dakotah Earley: Mom of Lincoln Park shooting victim shares progress of son

CHICAGO - A miraculous recovery is happening day by day — as a proud mom looks on. 

Dakotah Earley continues to fight after a violent robbery in Lincoln Park changed his life forever. 

She got to hug her son for the first time in 24 days, and though it's been tough, Earley is making a lot of progress on his road to recovery.

"Yesterday he had a really good day, he sat up for four hours," Joy Dobbs, Dakotah's mother said.

Dobbs has been documenting her son's progress.

Dakotah, 23, was shot three times 24 days ago, and spent days in a coma and on life support. 

"He doesn't need dialysis anymore, his kidneys are completely healed, they have taken some of the life support measures off," said Dobbs.

Earley, a culinary art student, was the victim of an armed robbery in Lincoln Park.

He fought back, and that's when police say the suspect 19-year-old Tyshon Brownlee, shot Earley over his cellphone.

He lost part of his leg.

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The recovery won't be overnight.

Earley has another four to five weeks in the hospital and another six months for rehabilitation to learn how to use his prosthetic and receive speech therapy.

Though he's not talking, he is writing. 

He also knows exactly what he wants to do.

"The question was put to him — do you want to stay or go back home? And he said he wanted to stay here," said Dobbs.

The suspect is back in court June 9 in Skokie.