On January 2, 2025, DMesha Hodge of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands was celebrating her 25th birthday. The day took a devastating turn when a motorcycle accident left her with life-threatening injuries.
Hodge was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors worked to stabilize her. But soon, they delivered shocking news to her mother, Michelle Powell: there was nothing more they could do.
Within 36 hours, Hodge was airlifted from St. Thomas to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial with a traumatic brain injury, bleeding around the brain, , multiple rib and spinal fractures, and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). She was in a coma and placed on a ventilator to help her breathe…