07/03/2024
May 28, 2022
Mason, Ohio
The day was perfect; warm enough to swim, but cool enough to have a bonfire so the kids could burn their school papers in an end-of-school-year tradition. Over 30 youth attended the event that day. I’d spent several hours talking to youth, parents, leaders, and friends and was wrapping up to head home. Kids were still swimming and a group of girls were swinging on the large tire swing hung from a tree over 2 stories tall.
If you’ve ever heard a tree break, you’ll know the sound is loud and has an echo; as if the entire woods around you has held it’s breath to see what damage would be in it’s wake. I heard that booming crack and turned just enough to see the tire swing, full of girls, hit the ground and a large branch hit Makayla on the head, followed closingly by a second branch hitting her. She fell backwards and hit the ground, motionless, as the other girls ran off screaming. I’m quick in an emergency situation, but this one stopped me in my tracks. I thought She’s dead. What are we going to do?! We have over 30 youth here! I was jarred out of these thoughts when someone yelled “Call 911!” and I was ran to Makayla. Two men joined in untangling her from the ropes of the tire swing.
“Makayla, Makayla Honey, wake up.” I tried to rouse her, with only a moan escaping her. A phone was handed off to me with 911 on the line. Teenagers and adults were running up to see what had happened. There was screaming and crying and shouting from everyone around. Mira, an older young woman, came in behind me to try to wake up Makayla while I got the address of our location to the 911 dispatch and directed adults to get the kids out of the area. I told one of the boys to run to the road to flag down the ambulance when it arrived. I quickly pulled my phone from my pocket and told Siri to dial Makayla’s mom and then handed off my phone to one of the girls to relay the message that Makayla’s parents needed to come - now!
I rushed back to Makayla’s side, joining Mira in giving Makayla CPR per the 911 dispatch. Makayla was unresponsive. Mira had just taken a CPR/First Aide course for her paramedics license and kept me calm and steady as we did chest compressions and breathing and then traded off. Mira knew what to do every step of the way. We kept going until the paramedics arrived and took over, then stood back and watched as they did everything they could to revive her. Makayla’s parents were soon there and they, along with Makayla’s older brother and sister, left with the paramedics to go to the hospital.
Makayla’s recovery journey then started. For the next 2 years, Makayla and her family battled to keep her alive and thriving. A mirade of other injuries from the double hit of the tree branches left Makayla unable to walk, move her arms or legs, or even breath on her own. Her neck was broken and an immediate surgery was performed to put in a prostetic replacement. This replacement should have allowed her the mobility she needed to live and move and thrive, but her nerves have not connected enough to allow this. She now has the opportunity to go to Thailand where they will insert stimulators that will help teach and train her body to move and function on it’s own. The journey will be long and difficult. She’ll travel with her mother, nurse, and a massive amount of equipment and supplies for over 17 hours to get the medical help she so desperately needs.
Typically, when a major tragedy happens, Go Fund Me type platforms are quickly started and funds roll in to help the family with anything they might need. Within days, those platform pages are shared and generous benefactors donate much needed blessings. It’s pivotal that those pages be launched at the onset of the accident to gain the most traction. Those pages were not created at the time of the accident as the family wanted to keep as much privacy as possible around Makalya’s recovery. These platforms have now been created. They need our help now! Makalya needs YOU! She needs your support and the blessing of giving. Will you please donate to Makayla’s healing journey? Will you help her on this journey to Thailand? Please.
(This post has been approved to post by Makalya's mother).
