Anasia Brazile’s family keeps hope alive
Published 5:04 pm Wednesday, July 31, 2013
“We’re not believing in science, we’re believing in God.”
Terri Thomas, the mother of Anasia Brazile, said she “won’t give up hope” on the recovery of the 11-year-old girl injured in a crash last week.
“Every day there’s something different with her healing,” Thomas said.
Thomas said Wednesday that Anasia had undergone MRI testing that allowed doctors at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Fla., to look at the child’s injuries and plan for treatment.
“The doctor’s told us she had a bulls-eye hit to her brain just above the brainstem,” Thomas said. “They say that’s the worst place for an injury as far as rehab goes. But, I’m still believing in God for her healing.”
Anasia was injured July 22 in a Travis Road wreck that killed her cousin, 13-year-old Nicholas Robinson. Both were thrown from the bed of the pickup truck in which they were riding when it flipped over. The driver of the truck, Earl Dickerson, and Nicholas’ mother, a passenger, have been charged with reckless murder. Law enforcement officials have said both were intoxicated at the time of the crash.
Thomas said she spent most of Tuesday night surfing the Internet in search of other people who have experience the same situation as her daughter.
“I have looked and researched as much as I can on this already,” Thomas said. “I found someone who had a similar injury that woke up after a month.”
Thomas said Anasia’s recovery will be slow, based on information she’s been given by the healthcare providers at Sacred Heart.
“She has taken a few breaths on her own,” Thomas said. “They are saying they are going to slowly take her off the vent to see if she can breathe on her own. They are telling us that it’s going to take a long time to do that. We are just focusing on getting her lungs to a point where she can breathe for herself. I’m just asking everyone to pray for her lungs right now.”
Thomas said the child is being kept sedated and is receiving pain medication during her treatment.
“Right now, they’ve pretty much got her in sleep mode,” Thomas said. “Her spleen is healing on its own. Her blood pressure is good. Her heart rate is good and the pressure in her head is coming down. We’re just believing and hoping for things to keep getting better.”
Thomas did say that doctors found an additional injury this week during an examination of Anasia.
“Her arm is broken between the shoulder and the elbow,” Thomas said. “But, they’ve got her arm stabilized so it can be still and start to heal.”
Thomas said she has been in contact with the Brain Injury Association and officials there are telling her not to give up.
“They keep telling me not to give up,” Thomas said. “She’s here and there is hope.”
Thomas said she hoped that people would remember the words in two Bible verses that help her keep her hope for Anasia’s recovery.
Mark 5:39 and 41 read: And when he was come in, he saith until them, Why make ye this ado and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And he took the damsel by the hand and said unto her, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.”
“We’re just waiting on the day with God will tell Anasia to arise.” Thomas said.