Layla Sky Barrett-Thomas’ smile lights up the photos her godmother posted online. Now, her infectious smile is hidden by a neck brace, bandages and tubes as the toddler fights for her life in ICU.
The 2-year-old Clarkesville girl was critically injured when she was run over by a vehicle Thursday afternoon in her family’s driveway. Authorities say Layla ran in front of a 1997 Jeep Wrangler driven by Timothy Joseph Barrett. He didn’t see her. Layla was struck by the undercarriage of the Jeep, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
The toddler was airlifted to Egleston Children’s Hospital where she underwent surgery to reduce the swelling on her brain. Doctors removed about a third of her skull, family says. She also suffered a fractured eye socket and possible stomach and lung injuries.
A child’s fight; a family’s hope
Layla’s godmother, Jessica Goulding, is chronicling Layla’s fight for life online. She says the family has basically moved into the hospital in Atlanta, two hours from home. She set up a Go Fund Me account for the family to help with expenses insurance won’t cover including, food, gas and lodging.
Jessica’s daughter, Ali, calls Layla her little sister. They’re not bound by blood but by something far stronger – love.
“The swelling in her brain went down enough so her pupils are the same size again, so that definitely is a plus, but nothing else has really changed since she’s had her surgery,” Ali shared with Now Habersham Sunday. ” It’s really just a waiting game.”
A waiting game and every parent’s worst nightmare.
Speaking by phone from her daughter’s hospital room Monday, Stephanie Thomas said “She’s still in a coma. They did stop the medication that had her in a coma, but it will take a couple of days before that clears her system.”
“I have this belief that’s she’s going to be ok.”
Thomas is receiving help from Ronald McDonald House and has a wide network of family helping her through this. Still, she says she’s coping “just an hour at a time, literally.”
When asked about her daughter’s prognosis, Thomas says Layla’s doctors “are just really uncertain now.” She, however, is not.
“I have this belief that’s she’s going to be ok,” Thomas says. “I feel it in my bones that she’s going to be alright somehow. I’m not sure how, but she’s going to be ok.”
To donate to Layla’s Go Fund Me account, visit https://www.gofundme.com/sweet-baby-layla.
