“We were told there was no hope—but we got a miracle!”

After nearly drowning and without a heartbeat for almost two hours, Kristal Carlson’s little girl was severely brain-damaged. But an experimental treatment—and the powers of love and hope— made a miracle happen . . .

Glancing at the clock, Kristal Carlson was happy to see she had time to grab a quick shower before taking her 13-year-old son to basketball tryouts. With five kids, ranging from age two up, it was often difficult for the Fayetteville, Arkansas, mom to find time for herself.

Kristal was still getting dressed herself when she called for her youngest, “Come get dressed, Eden!”

But Eden didn’t come running. And she wasn’t in her room where she was supposed to be playing.

“Where is Eden?” Kristal worriedly asked the older kids. Yet none knew.

Suddenly, a horrifying image flashed in Kristal’s mind.

“No!” she gasped, running to the backyard, only to find Eden’s lifeless body floating facedown in the pool.

Praying for Eden

Call 911!” Kristal shouted as she pulled Eden from the pool and started CPR. “Please, baby, breathe!” Kristal pleaded as she pumped her daughter’s chest. But tiny Eden remained still. Minutes later, paramedics arrived, still desperately trying to revive Eden as they loaded her into the ambulance. “We can’t lose her!” Kristal wept to her husband, Chris, as he met her in the ER. Fifteen minutes passed . . . a half hour . . . then an hour as Eden lay deathly still. They’re going to give up, Kristal panicked. But Eden had touched the hearts of the doctors and nurses. And they were determined to keep trying. Finally, after more than 100 minutes of CPR and 17 shots of epinephrine, Eden’s heart began beating again. But doctors cautioned Kristal and Chris not to be too hopeful. Irreversible brain damage can occur after just 10 minutes without oxygen— and Eden had gone 10 times that length. Eden was airlifted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Sadly, doctors there determined Eden was in organ failure and had massive, irreversible brain damage. “Even if she lives, she will never walk, talk, feed herself . . . do anything again,” they gently explained. Kristal burst into tears. Yet as days became weeks, Eden hung on. And though MRIS showed significant shrinkage of her brain tissue, though she had a feeding tube and couldn’t speak or make eye contact, Kristal insisted: As long as your heart is beating, we won’t give up on you.

I know you’re still in there, Kristal vowed.

Miracle girl

Chris began researching treatments for severe brain injuries and learned that LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine Director Paul Harch, M.D., was using hyperbaric oxygen therapy— a technique where patients are placed in a special chamber and given pure oxygen—in an attempt to reverse brain damage.

Although FDA approved for many conditions, the therapy hadn’t yet been approved to treat brain injury. But the treatments were painless. And if there was a chance . . .

After raising $15,000 for the treatment and expenses, Kristal and Eden moved to New Orleans for twice daily 45-minute sessions.

Amazingly, after just the first treatment, Eden seemed more alert. And as the treatments progressed, the results were astounding. Eden was sitting up and eating on her own. And by the 40th treatment, she was taking shaky steps!

“Mama!” she said, smiling— her first word, just as it had been the first time, Kristal marveled through tears. And when Eden underwent her next MRI, it showed almost complete reversal of her brain damage!

Today, Eden is a typical three-year-old, who loves playing dress-up and whooshing down the backyard slide and can’t wait for Santa to come.

“We were told that there was no hope—but we got a miracle!” Kristal says. “Having our little girl back is the greatest gift!”

— Marti Attoun

For those who are willing to make an effort, great miracles and wonderful treasures store.” are in ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER