Mom of cheerleader, 17, mauled by shark gives heartbreaking update about daughter who tried to fight off 9ft beast

THE mom of a cheerleader who was mauled by a shark last week has given a heartbreaking update about her daughter.

Addison Bethea, a 17-year-old girl from Perry, Florida, was attacked by an estimated 9-foot shark on Thursday, June 30.

The teen had been scalloping alongside her brother, Rhett Willingham, on the coast of Keaton Beach in Florida when she felt something touch her leg.

Moments later, she was fighting the shark and bit multiple times until Addison's brother helped separate her from the beast.

Luckily, her brother Rhett, a firefighter and EMT, and other local boaters helped tie a tourniquet to control Addison's bleeding until she was airlifted to a trauma center.

The injured teen's mom, Michelle Bethea, told The Sun on Tuesday morning: "She's had more pain this morning than she's had since the incident happened."

Michelle said the doctors gave her daughter something to help her rest and "she's going to be sleeping most of the day today, which is what she needs."

Additionally, her daughter's plastic surgeon had delayed Addison's next surgery to Wednesday at 7.30am due to the complexity of the case.

Addison, who has already undergone two surgeries since the attack, suffered a loss of her quadriceps in her right leg, as well as massive nerve and vascular damage.

She will need to get her leg amputated slightly above her right knee during Wednesday's surgery at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, where she is recovering.

In regards to Addison's survival skills and knowledge of sharks, Michelle told The Sun: "Oddly Addison's always watched shows about sharks and when you grow up on the water - this is always something you always discuss.

"She did try to do everything right - like hitting the shark on the nose.

"Addison tried to pry the shark off of her own finger and that's an instinct that you can't give advice on - that's a survival instinct."

Michelle explained how Addison and her three brothers have been scalloping since they could swim.