“She’s our middle child of seven,” said Stacy Guidas of Panama City Beach, Florida.
“Ava has an old soul. With her red hair and freckles, she stands out. She loves people and animals. She was looking forward to a big year of volleyball, basketball, and softball at Mosley High School,” Stacy said.
Then her voice grew quiet. “Ava won’t be playing sports this school year.”
On July 17, 14-year-old Ava Guidas got on an ATV. Two friends were on another one. The two ATVs drove side by side near a dry pond. Ava turned too sharply, and her life changed. The ATV flipped and landed on her.
Ava suffered a traumatic brain injury. She had a skull fracture, brain swelling, blood loss, and bleeding. She also had eye socket injuries and broken bones that needed surgeries and constant prayers.
“Ava woke up in Pensacola Children’s Hospital, and 34 days later we were moved to a rehab hospital in Jacksonville,” Stacy said.
It’s been a hard journey, but Ava has reminded her family of what matters most. One night at the hospital, sitting with her dad Thomas, she told him, “Dad, I hate that this happened to me, but if it brought our family closer to each other and to God, then I’m okay with it being me.”
Today, Ava is celebrating—she just found out she will be going home to Panama City later this week. Doctors did find a brain aneurysm, but it is now under control.
“It’s still going to be a long road,” Stacy said. “But Ava is going home.”
*Ava would love to hear from you.
*Photos shared by Stacy Guidas.
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