A Collin County mother calls her daughter a “Christmas miracle” on account of the little girl’s speedy recovery from a big fall.
On Sunday, Nov. 17, Grace Priddy, 7, was climbing on the banister for the staircase that leads to the second floor of her Prosper home when she lost her balance and fell approximately 15 feet down to the stairs below, landing on her head and back.
“When this happened we literally thought she was going to die,” said mother Rebecca Priddy, while fighting back tears. “When we went into the emergency room that Sunday it was, ‘God, please save my child.’”
The Priddy family had plenty of reasons to pray. Grace had suffered a traumatic brain injury, a fracture to her skull and she had stopped breathing for several minutes prior to the arrival of emergency responders.
But the four-plus weeks that have followed that accident have proven to the Priddys that their prayers have been answered. Grace is now up, talking and walking and is set to return to her first grade class when school resumes in January after the winter break.
“We didn’t even know if she was going to be able to walk, but the fact that here she is four weeks later jumping with a controlled supervisor, she’s running – not that she’s supposed to be running, but she’s 7 – and she’s talking and hanging out with friends, miracles do happen. She is my Christmas miracle,” Rebecca Priddy said.
Mom wants her daughter’s story to serve as a cautionary tale for all of the other children who see their banisters as potential playground equipment.
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“She did not think she was going to roll over and fall. And that’s what we hope people learn. Just don’t do it,” Priddy said.
In addition, Rebecca Priddy said her family is beyond grateful for all of the help that has gotten them through the past month. Starting with the first responders and the medical staff at Children’s Health Dallas who saved Grace’s life, and continuing with the school community in the Prosper Independent School District and all of the friends and strangers who have offered meals and gift cards and emotional support through this ordeal, Rebecca Priddy said her family hopes to one day contribute so meaningfully to the lives of someone else.
