On this Thanksgiving weekend, one Dallas family is grateful for the little things after their 8-year-old little girl, Holly, suffered a brain aneurysm on Monday and had to be air lifted to the Children’s hospital in Dallas.
The girl’s mother, Carla Resendiz, wrote that her chances were “unknown” when she arrived at the hospital. She says the family is taking it one step at a time, but appropriately, on Thanksgiving, they’re grateful for the simple fact that Holly is “still here with us.”
Mom can be heard on tape encouraging her daughter and asking her to “keep fighting” as she lay in her hospital bed after surgery. As mom peppered questions like what she wanted to eat, the sweet girl responded with slight nods of the head. She couldn’t open her eyes, but the moment that has everyone in tears is when mom asks her to squeeze her hand. “Do me a favor. I’m holding your hand, OK? If you love me, squeeze your hand,” she said to her little one.
As the camera pans towards the hand, you can clearly see her squeeze back.
“Oh my God. Baby, I love you. You keep fighting, OK?” mom said in response as she pushed back the tears.
Resendiz has started a GoFundme page, where she wrote about the harrowing ordeal:
Holly is my vibrant 8 yr old daughter that suffered an aneurysm and then it caused a seizure. She had to have CPR preformed twice and there was minimal pulse for a few minutes. She was care flighted out to Children’s hospital here in Dallas. When she got here, it was touch and go and her chances were unknown. She managed to pull through like the fighter she is. They did an emergency stent to drain fluid and reduce swelling in her brain. She was medically paralyzed and had a number of medications to help control her blood pressure. Her lungs and heart are weak and she has a breathing tube and will for a few days. After weaning her off certain medications were were able to see if she could respond. We didn’t know if she was still in there but she is!! She has kept herself stable enough for 3D scans of her brain and a look into what to do next. The CAT scans showed she has a cluster of abnormal vessels at the base of her brain that need to be dealt with. Right now we are taking it one small step at a time and are greatful that our sweet Holly is still here with us.
While many Americans jokingly (sometimes not so jokingly) dread their upcoming visits with family this weekend, mostly over petty differences and annoyances, this video should help put life it the proper perspective. Imagine, the “happiest day of your life” (title of the video) involving your daughter barely hanging on after a surgery. Oh, how easily we forget how precious this gift of life truly is. Make sure and hug your loved ones a little extra close this holiday.
Pray for Holly as she continues to fight back after surgery. What a brave little girl!
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