WARREN, Mich. – Surrounded by friends and family, Destinee Hayes walked out to a standing ovation as she headed to her senior prom, a milestone her family once feared she might never reach.
“It just means a lot to see and know that our daughter is well and alive,” her mother, Jequita Breham, said. “To see that she’s accomplishing goal after goal after goal.”
In 2022, Hayes was diagnosed with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C, a rare but potentially life-threatening complication linked to COVID-19.
While at DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan, she suffered a major stroke, underwent two brain surgeries, and was placed on life support.
At one point, her parents were told they may need to make an impossible decision.
“She was on a trach, she was on a ventilator, and we were told, ‘Mom and Dad, you need to make a decision,’” Breham said.
Doctors warned the family that if Hayes woke from her coma, she likely would not be able to walk, talk, or recognize them.
Instead, she beat the odds and made what her family calls a miraculous recovery.
After six months in the hospital, she returned home.
Although Hayes is now legally blind, her family and pastor say she has continued pushing forward.
She is a cheerleader, a member of the school choir, and a member of the National Honor Society.
“I see her going upstairs, I see her walking. It’s just been amazing,” said Mark Holloway, pastor of Peace and Goodwill Baptist Church. “I’ve never seen a champion like I’ve seen the champion in Destinee.”
Hayes said she doesn’t see herself as extraordinary, just a typical teenager grateful for the support around her.
“I’m happy that they just found the courage and strength to take care of me,” Hayes said. “Because I am just a normal teenage girl.”
In June, Hayes will graduate from Warren Woods Tower High School and plans to pursue a career as an aesthetician.
Her family is sharing her story in hopes it encourages other families facing serious medical challenges.
“Never give up in spite of what it looks like,” Breham said. “Do not give up, have faith in God, have faith in your child, and just be a believer. Us doing all of those things is why she’s able to stand here today.”