Destiny and Myra’s story may be a familiar one to many readers, as it made local news headlines in December of last year, and again last month. Suffering a severe and traumatic brain injury, 6-month-old baby Myra was airlifted to the hospital for emergency surgery. Myra’s mother, Destiny, took quick action during the tragic event, saving Myra’s life, but doctors would go on to say that Myra’s chances of having brain activity or even surviving were slim, initially giving her three days to live. Despite this, Destiny never gave up hope on her little girl. “Myra’s a miracle baby,” says Destiny, now age 20. “I have always believed in her.” Destiny’s faith was substantiated, and Myra miraculously survived.
Myra has had several surgeries to treat her injury, however, she will need additional surgeries and is unfortunately suffering from a lifelong brain disability, including loss of motor skills on her left side. Destiny and her Every Child Succeeds (ECS) Family Support Worker, Bonnie, are doing everything they can to help Myra progress and meet her developmental milestones while Mom and baby get back on their feet. Bonnie has worked with Destiny and Myra for almost seven months so far to provide support, including helping Myra practice her therapy exercises, assisting with groceries when possible, and providing a lightweight stroller when Destiny was struggling to get the previous one up and down their 3rd-floor walk-up.
For months, Myra was unable to sit up or turn over on her own, but thanks to Destiny and Bonnie’s dedication, she is slowly but surely improving her range of motion and muscle use. Having been through so much, Destiny and Myra do their best to maintain positive attitudes. “She has a good attitude; she keeps me laughing. She’s always been strong. People say I’m strong, but we get it from each other, me and her,” says Destiny with pride. Though Myra, currently 18 months old, is now able to sit up on her own, Destiny and Bonnie are working together to get her crawling and eventually walking. “[Destiny] is just a great mom, she’s a go-getter, and [Myra] is incredible,” says Bonnie. “We just want to make it as easy as possible for Destiny to be able to care for her child.” After being nominated by Bonnie for the United Way Wish List, Destiny and Myra were selected and will be featured in The Enquirer, able to tell their story on their own terms for the first time. With support from our community, Destiny and Bonnie will be able to continue helping Myra on her journey while enrolled in ECS.