SEBASTIAN, Fla. — A young Minnesota girl's life is forever changed after she was struck by lightning while visiting the Treasure Coast.
"We need a miracle," May Sayaxang, a close family friend, said. "We need hope."
Sayaxang said she joined Mila Vang, 12, and her family at the Sebastian Inlet Aug. 14 to celebrate the child's upcoming birthday.
"She's still a young girl, so much ahead of her," Sayaxang said.
She said Mila has been unconscious in an Orlando hospital for more than two weeks.
"The mother said that they did a head operation to get the blood out and during her birthday yesterday they were putting a tube in her neck," Sayaxang said.
She was recording a video on her phone during the celebrations, capturing the moment they were all hurt by the lightning.
Sayaxang said it was a rainy day, but it didn't seem out of the ordinary.
"I assumed that it hit Mila and then the blast hit us," Sayaxang said.
She said the strike happened so fast that she didn't realize it was lightning, and thought she ended up on the ground because she rolled her ankle.
Sayaxang, along with Mila's mother, were knocked to the ground.
She said Mila was in the water and was floating face down after the strike.
"I was able to pull her to the edge, and I called for help, 'I said help, help,'" Sayaxang said.
She said Mila's 14-year-old brother, Josh, called 911 as first responders coached him through CPR.
"During this time was he focused? Was he calm?" asked WPTV reporter Joel Lopez.
"He was so focused. He's so calm, and then they said, 'do this,' and then he would do it," Sayaxang said.
Family members said doctors confirmed Mila has damage to the right hemisphere of her brain and will need to have a permanent breathing and feeding tube.
That damage means her language will be affected. She will not be able to use her left-side body functions, remember things or people, process information, eat and other things affected by the right-sided brain injury, according to family members.
Through it all, the girl's mother hasn't left her daughter's side.
"She stayed there in the hospital for so long that she no longer has her job," Sayaxang said. "But the doctors said they see vitals on the screen."
Mila is expected to be in the hospital for two to three months.
If you'd like to help the family, visit their GoFundMe page to make a donation.