Some say Braylynn Rego of Helendale is a walking miracle, after she survived a near-drowning as a baby, had a vibrant childhood and graduated from high school in May.
Braylynn was all smiles on Thursday, May 28 as she strolled across the stage to receive her diploma during her commencement ceremony at Academy of Careers & Exploration in Helendale.
“It’s a big day, and I’m so ready for the future,” said Braylynn, who turned 18 on Valentine’s Day. “I plan to do online studies at Victor Valley College on my way to becoming a special ed teacher.”
Braylynn told the Daily Press that her near-drowning experience left her with “mild cerebral palsy,” which did not prevent her from working out, playing flag football, and participating in high school basketball and softball.
“I get leg spasms, and I walk a bit funky, but other than that, I’m good,” said Braylynn, a two-time honor roll student with a flair for writing poetry. “Having cerebral palsy will allow me to bond with others who are also struggling.”
Braylynn’s eyes are also focused on getting a part-time restaurant server job, where she can meet customers while bringing “smiles to tables.”
“My dad and I have a great relationship,” Braylynn said. “He’s been my biggest supporter in my journey.”
A grateful father
Raymond Rego, 43, contacted the Daily Press to share about his daughter’s graduation, her life and the day she nearly died.
Raymond said despite “not being a perfect father,” he has always loved Braylynn and her older brother, Rayden, and will continue to do so until his “last moment of existence.”
Recalling the near-drowning incident, Raymond said, “I still don’t have words for the first responders, and the words ‘thank you’ seem so insignificant and small. It is not enough.”
He added that the actions of the first responders, nurses and doctors were amazing as they “saved and preserved more than one life that day.”
Raymond said that after the near-drowning incident, there was a moment when Braylynn’s neurologist said that she may never speak again.
“The weight of the possibility of never hearing ‘I love you’ from your child is probably similar to spaghettification,” Ramond said. “That was going to be reality.”
Shortly after his conversation with the neurologist, Braylynn watched her brother and cousins in a hallway at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital.
“She giggled. Deafening the silence, changing reality,” Raymond said. “That was almost 18 years ago.”
He added that Braylynn’s athletic, academic and extracurricular accomplishments defied the odds and the words of despair spoken nearly two decades ago.
‘She was floating face-down’
On a day after a snowstorm swept through the High Desert in December 2008, Raymond was at home preparing his two children for a bath.
After stepping away for what he called “a moment,” Raymond turned the corner into his bathroom he saw one of the most frightening sights any parent could face.
“She was floating face-down in the water,” Raymond told the Daily Press in 2009, adding that the tub had less than two inches of water.
At Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital, Braylynn’s family was given the grim prognosis that she could suffer long-term physical effects, including being blind or never being able to talk.
A day after being taken off a ventilator, Braylynn opened her eyes, something the family was warned may not happen for days or even weeks.
“When I saw that it gave me hope and inspiration,” Raymond said.
Braylynn’s 1st birthday
At Braylynn’s first birthday celebration, she acted like a healthy child, entertaining firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians.
Some of the first responders included Ryan Beckers, a San Bernardino County Fire Department paramedic and firefighter.
Many of the rescuers at Braylynn’s party told the Daily Press they felt like it was just part of their job, but were grateful for the chance to see the outcome of their work.
During the party, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Christina Mello cried as she remembered the small girl she left behind in the emergency room of Victor Valley Community Hospital, now Victor Valley Global Medical Center.
“She looks really good,” said Mello, as she wiped away the tears. “I just remember praying that she would make it.”
American Medical Response paramedic Jason Michael said caring for Braylynn was a “Once-in-a-career opportunity for all of us. This is what we work for every day.”
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Helendale ‘miracle baby’ earns diploma after surviving the unthinkable
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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