DAYTON — A mother gave an update to News Center 7 on her 18-year-old daughter recovering in the hospital after being hit by a car back in April.
She is also looking for help to find the person who hit her daughter and left her for dead.
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Reward offered for information on Dayton hit-and-run that left teen in critical condition
The person who hit I’sice Thomas drove away and left her lying in the crosswalk on North Main Street and Santa Clara Avenue.
News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott spoke over the phone with her mother, Senequa Gladden, on Friday.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s office is offering a reward of $1,000 to anyone who calls deputies and Dayton Police with information about the hit-and-run crash from April 6.
McDermott says Gladden has been at Miami Valley Hospital every day and every night with her daughter. She is also grateful for Miami Valley Crime Stoppers who is paying for the reward.
Friday was the first day that I’sice was able to breathe on her own since she was hit more than a month ago in the crash.
“She’s not on any type of ventilator or any machines,” said Gladden. “They took the trach out (Thursday) yesterday and so she’s doing fairly well.”
I’sice continues to make progress because her injuries are so severe, Gladden told McDermott Friday.
“They didn’t think we were gonna make it this far. Actually, in the beginning, they didn’t want to tell me this,” she said. “I guess it was hard for them to, you know, tell the parent that we’re not sure you know how the outcome was gonna be.”
Doctors have since changed their minds.
“Now, that she’s made it this far, you know, they feel like she will probably have a good future,” Gladden told McDermott.
>>PHOTOS: 18-year old still hospitalized following hit and run crash in Dayton
But I’sice has a number of challenges, her mom says.
“She suffered a stroke,” said Gladden. “She does have some immobility on the right side of her body so she’s not able to use her right side.”
Her daughter suffered a stroke which is impacting the right side of her body, and will need to go to rehab to hopefully regain control.
Gladden told McDermott that I’sice is still missing a part of her skull from surgery and still has a blood clot in her head. She says seeing her daughter in this condition is beyond painful.
“I don’t know if she remembers us because I’ll ask her, you know, ‘Am I your mom?’ And she’ll say no, sometimes she’ll say yes. But more than likely she says no,” said Gladden. “She doesn’t deserve any of this, no one does, but she doesn’t.”
McDermott is anyone with information to come forward and call the police.
“If it was me that witnessed a child being hit and left there for death, and I’ve seen it, you know, I will try my best to help bring that person to justice for that family,” said Gladden.
She has a message for the driver who hit her daughter and left her lying on the road.
“For the person to still just be out there living their life day to day not realizing how they ruined someone’s life is just crazy to me.”
>>Suspect in custody following standoff in Xenia
Gladden says when her daughter is strong enough, she will go to rehab to help regain control of the right side of her body.
She also said if anyone knows anything about the hit-and-run and is nervous to tell the police, they can do so anonymously.
0 of 13
©2023 Cox Media Group
