ROYAL OAK, Mich. – It’s bicycle season and that means children and adults are two-wheeling it in parks, on sidewalks and every imaginable roadway.
Many do so at their own peril because they neglect to include one single piece of armor that could save their lives in the event of a collision.
Mia Alex had her skull cracked in multiple places, a brain bleed and nearly died eight years ago when she rode her bike without a helmet. Her story is like many others.
“I was 10 and 10 year olds do not want to wear a helmet,” Alex recalled.
Her incident changed her life immediately. Her parents said she wasn’t acting like herself and took her to the doctor, who had to remove part of Mia’s skull to stop the bleeding.
The medical team at what is now Beaumont Health in Royal Oak stood between Mia and death. Doctors, nurses and physical therapists were able to give her a great outcome, but it doesn’t always happen that way.
But the road to recovery was not simple or easy. Mia had such severe head trauma, she had sensitivity to light and sound. She struggled with school and her motor skills.
When she graduated high school with honors, Mia returned to the hospital to greet the medical staff that saved her life.
Mia and the team at Beaumont Health want people to know she was lucky and urge people to wear a helmet.
You can watch Paula Tutman’s full story in the video above.