LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Brazyl Ward was six years old when she was hit and left for dead by a driver on Halloween night back in 2013.
Doctors did not think she would survive. After being in a coma for two months, she did make it. The community rallied around her.
FOX5 was also there for every step of her recovery. Now, we also stood by her as she starts a new chapter.
12 years after the accident, Brazyl graduated from high school Wednesday.
FOX5 sat with her and her mom, Tiffany Ward, before the ceremony as they both reflected on Brazyl’s miraculous recovery.
“I feel great. I am about to graduate,” Brazyl said.
Brazyl showed us her senior year book and pointed her picture out.
“I am really excited. I’ve been praying for years like, ‘when am I going to get out of high school? There is too much drama,’” Brazyl said.
The excitement the family has about Brazyl graduating was almost taken from them,. Tiffany was not sure Brazyl was going to overcome her accident.
“She wasn’t there. She wasn’t with us. She was gone. Her dad performed CPR on her right away. She came back. We rushed her to the hospital. They only gave us a 10 percent survival chance. She wasn’t even going to make it through the night,” Tiffany said. “I remember there was a time where this day didn’t look like it was going to happen. It is actually happening. I just feel blessed.”
However, it is a blessing that did not come without challenges.
Brazyl suffers from a traumatic brain injury, she has a right side deficiency and she is not able to read.
FOX5’s Victoria Saha: Did you find it hard for your peers and friends to understand what you have gone through?
Brazyl: Yes. They don’t understand at all. The only people that understand are my teachers and my staff. Nobody else.
Saha: That must be really hard feeling like no body understands what you are going through.
Brazyl: Yeah but, I don’t mind it. That’s because they are still young. Even if they watched this, they are going to be proud of me, but they are still not going to understand it.
It is a struggle that is hard to understand, but Brazyl said she is not going to let that effect her.
“My life is still good. It’s still better. I’m still living life and that’s all that matters,” Brazyl said.
Brazyl said she wants to pay it forward by becoming a therapist when she gets older as a thank you to all those who helped her take baby steps in her recovery.
“It’s a blessing. I cant wait to help people,” Brazyl said.
The driver who hit Brazyl was never caught.
In the past years, the Ward family have become advocate for pedestrian safety.
Have a story idea or tip? You can reach reporter Victoria Saha at [email protected]
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