Addi's Miracle TBI Advocacy & Pedestrian awareness

On December 20th, 2022 our youngest Daughter who was 4 at the time was looking at Christmas lights with her Daddy and 2 of her Brothers at a church when she was struck by an SUV.
The impact killed Addi, however, God had literal earth angels in the waiting for our Daughter. A physician's assistant heard the impact and my husband's screams and ran to the scene. He began CPR on Addi until Chandler Fire arrived. Addi was then transferred with police escorts to Banner Desert Trauma / Caredon Children's. We were driven by Chandler crisis intervention. 

Amongst Addi's injuries some being 8 non displaced broken ribs, right lung laceration, adrenal lacerations, skin abrasions, blood coming from her ears... the most severe were a large skull fracture, a c1 and C2 break, c3 and c4 tear and a grade 2 diffuse axonal traumatic brain injury. She was on life support and ended up with an ICP monitor and an EVD which is where they burrow a hole into the skull to remove extra fluids on the brain in effort to keep swelling down before having to go in and remove part of the skull for brain swelling. 

We were told that Addi had less than a 7% chance of survival and to make calls. The neurosurgeon (who I hated at the time but am SO thankful for now and on this side of everything I fully understand why he works the way he does) told us that they had children come in less injured than Addi, that don't survive.
Addi kept proving everyone wrong and she fought past the critical 72 hour period. Then was able to go in for her neck fusion .. she now lives with many plates and screws for stability. She survived that and kept going. 

We were in the PICU for almost 2 weeks and then a regular pediatric floor for about a week. We then transferred to Phoenix children's acute rehabilitation. Again , we were told to expect a 6 month to 1 year stay. We were there for almost a month.
In that span of time, Addi had to relearn how to sit alone, relearn how to walk, swallow, project her voice, simple tasks like holding a cup, bathing etc.
Being almost 3 years out from the accident, Addi is no longer in OT but still needs PT and Speech. Cognitive issues are the biggest struggle. 

Additionally, in May of 2024 while driving home from therapies on the I10 we were rear ended by a young man, distracted. Addi sustained something called secondary impact syndrome. This is an injury to the brain that has already been injured. She had worked so hard to get to her new baseline level of normal cognitive skills and now she was kicked backwards. She has once again worked REALLY hard to regain the efforts she made. 

All of this combined led us to start looking into pedestrian accidents, fatalities and distracted driving accidents and fatalities in Arizona but also across the United States. The numbers were absolutely sickening and terrifying. Having walked these journeys as a Mother and seeing what my child had gone through  and will go through for the rest of her life as well as the lasting trauma affects on our family, I couldn't just sit back and not do anything. We knew in our hearts that we had to at least try. If our work and efforts saved at least one life, changed one person's mind in regards to behavior behind the wheel, it was something and something is better than nothing. 

This is where Addi's Miracle TBI advocacy and Pedestrian Awareness and Survivors Against Distracted Driving was born. (Side note but very important note we are so thankful for Bianca Romero with Channel 12 for covering Addi's story and for our city's news magazine InMaricopa for coming to our side to support us and our support and education outreach. It means more than you'll ever know.)

We advocate, educate and walk with parents, family and loved ones who are in these shoes on this unfair journey. We don't just offer a hand to hold for victims and survivors though. We offer a platform for innocent victims family, friends and loved ones to be the voice to share your loved ones story as well as a hand to hold through your journey. You don't have to be in Arizona. If you have been affected by a distracted driver, you can be anywhere within the United States and we will walk this journey with you. 

As we enter our second year, we have decided to go ahead and merge  addismiracle.com and survivors against distracted driving. com into one website. It will be one outreach with the same calling and goal. 

If you have a child in Middle school, a teen ready to start driving, if you have teen drivers or if you even as an adult would like a refresher in driving laws, distracted driving, pedestrian education.. on December 20th we will be launching an education curriculum. This is something we have seen people ask for over and over again in the comments of local fatalities. It is something that we feel is needed and not yet created in the manner that we have created it to be taught. It is available online with self accountability along side a parent.  As of right now the plan is to do groups of 20 at a time through the program and it will be first come first serve with a waiting list. To enroll in the program, with the first group please see the "Focus to live" page for further instructions.