Adah's Miraculous Rescue & Fight for Life

Life can change in the blink of an eye. On June 29, 2022, 16-year-old Adah was critically injured in a near-fatal single-car accident that lost control on a winding, hilly two-lane back road in Licking County, Ohio. The truck, driven by her 16-year-old best friend, crashed into a wooded area, and Adah was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle then rolled onto her petite body and pinned her underneath. Miraculously, a man operating a tractor was nearby and arrived upon the scene with first responders, where they used his tractor to pull the truck off of Adah. According to EMS, Adah was unresponsive and pulseless for 15 minutes. The team of first responders vigorously performed several rounds of CPR until her pulse returned. Adah was immediately transported to Licking Memorial Hospital, where they quickly inserted an airway and managed to stabilize her before being life-flighted to Grant Medical Center’s trauma unit. For nearly two hours, Adah’s parents, Kelly and Mike, waited alongside their family in the trauma center for the details of Adah’s condition, not knowing if she was even alive. Family members began falling on their knees in the hospital, begging God to take them instead.

 

The trauma physician simultaneously delivered some good and bad news. Currently, Adah is unresponsive and in critical condition, as well as on a ventilator to protect her airway. The extent of her injuries is as follows:

 

- Her MRI and CT scans show an anoxic brain injury in her occipital lobe (back of head) due to a lack of oxygen at the scene of the accident. She has undergone neurosurgery to place a shunt and relieve intracranial pressure and swelling on her frontal lobe, which is being treated as needed with medications. It is too early to determine the extent of Adah’s brain injuries or how they may impact her long-term recovery. Adah will need about one week to rest and heal before additional brain scans are done.

 

- Despite the terrifying news, the family is encouraged by small miracles they have witnessed when they are with Adah. Adah showed a very minute, almost unreadable pupil response 48 hours post-accident, which has given the medical team and the family a glimmer of hope. Additionally, Adah’s myoclonic jerking, which was terrifying to watch, has stopped. From her aunt, an ER nurse, on July 1st: “Today Kelly touched Adah’s foot, and her eyes fluttered. And as I held Adah’s hand and sobbed, I saw a single tear come from Adah’s eye. We’re clinging to these moments and are hopeful for positive progress.”

 

- Adah has crushing chest and lung damage. The medical team continues to monitor her lungs for increased pressure and fluid accumulation. However, they are not seeing the increased thoracic pressure they were initially watching for, but she isn’t out of the woods with these injuries.

 

- She has a Grade 4, six-inch laceration to her liver. While this is bad, the doctors don't see any significant bleeding, so they're monitoring it for now and using the liver transplant scoring protocol.

 

- She has an acute kidney injury that they will monitor closely with blood work and treat her if needed.

 

- She has minor skull fractures and two major fractures to her cervical spine, but her spinal cord was unaffected, which was a huge relief to hear as Adah had spinal fusion surgery months before the accident. To keep her neck stable and avoid spinal cord injury, she is wearing a c-collar.

 

- She has a broken scapula but no current plan to undergo surgical repair. The family will continue to consult with the orthopedic physician.

 

- She has generalized, significant bruising and lacerations to her face and entire body. There is also a deep laceration to the back of her head.

 

- Her white blood count is elevated, likely due to trauma, so they have treated her with prophylactic antibiotics.

 

- Her blood gases show that she is in metabolic acidosis, so her respiratory team will monitor and treat her as needed.

 

- She is being treated with pain medication routinely and as needed. She appears to be comfortable and peaceful.

 

- Her blood pressure is up and down, which they monitor and treat with beta-blockers. She remains in normal sinus rhythm and is tachycardic on the monitor (heart rate is elevated). The good news is that she maintains her blood pressure and heart rate independently.

 

- She will remain on the ventilator in the neuro ICU, where a phenomenal, compassionate team of nurses and doctors is caring for her around the clock.

 

Adah is the most critical patient at Grant Medical. At this time, the family is putting their faith in God and the brilliant and highly-trained doctors, nurses, and entire medical team at Grant ICU to take care of Adah.

Funds raised will be donated in full to the family to cover Adah's medical expenses, the family's travel expenditures to the medical center, loss of income as they'll need weeks and months of time off from work to be with Adah, and assistance in managing their home from outside help as they continue to travel 45 minutes to Adah's side each day. 

 

Updates to this page will continue as the medical team gives them.