CHANDLER, Ariz. — A year ago, a Valley family was sitting in the hospital with their 4-year-old daughter unsure if she would ever make it out.
Standing on a sidewalk, she pulled away from her dad's hand and was hit by a car. She was sent flying a hundred feet.
Thankfully, a lot has changed since that day and Addi, now five years old, has defied the odds. Her family says she is a walking miracle.
“Life is fragile. And you never know when you walk out the door, if everybody is going to walk back into it with you," said Katie Sandell, Addi's mom.
"The impact did kill her. And she did not have a pulse."
After Addi was struck by the car, she was left with a skull fracture, a broken neck, and a traumatic brain injury. She was fighting for her life.
“The impact did kill her. And she did not have a pulse," Sandell said.
Moments after Addi was struck, a physician's assistant leaving work ran to Addi's aid to begin CPR.
“And then Chandler Fire Department took over and they are incredible heroes," Sandell said.
Addi reunites with first responders who saved her life
One year later, those Chandler firefighters remember the call like it was yesterday.
“We knew right away that this was as serious as it gets," said Michael Williams, a Chandler paramedic firefighter.
“You know everything that’s on the line," said Chandler Fire Captain Allen Blaine.
It was Rachael Pereda's first-ever shift.
“I'm brand new. So when that call kicked out, my adrenaline was going up. And I just wanted to make sure that I provided the best care," Pereda recalled.
They got Addi to the hospital where she would stay for weeks.
But their help didn't stop there.
The crash happened just days before Christmas in 2022 so to ensure the Sandell Family was taken care of for the holidays, the firefighters went on a shopping spree for them.
They used some funds from the Chandler Firefighter Charities and also contributed personally.
“We loaded up the truck and we took it over to Kate's friend's house and hoped that the family would have a good holiday," Blaine said.
This year, Addi returned the favor and brought gifts to the Chandler Fire Department.
“To have such a good outcome from what potentially could have been is very heartwarming to us," Blaine said.
“That's my first call and she's doing amazing. It's pretty, pretty cool to watch," Pereda said.
Addi's road to recovery is not over. She still is dealing with the traumatic brain injury and needs regular physical and speech therapy.
But she's alive. And to those who helped make that possible, and to her family, that's all they could ever ask for.
“I've had people in the medical industry say there's nothing scientific that points to her recovery. It's more than that. It's a miracle," Sandell said.
Addi's mom posts regular updates about her recovery in a Facebook group called "Addi's Miracle." If you'd like to follow along, you can join the group here.
The Chandler Firefighter Charities is a non-profit that Chandler firefighters pull from their paychecks to contribute to in order to help the community in ways that go beyond their fire or medical services.
They also accept public donations. You can donate here.
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