SO THANKFUL FOR SWEET LITTLE Dawna Kay: Family counts its blessings as toddler continues to heal from devastating crash

Wasola residents Jordan and Darci Dimirsky have an extra reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving season. Just over two months ago, their 1-year-old daughter, Dawna Kay, was released from the hospital following a 32-day stay recovering from serious injuries sustained in a Sept. 7 car crash. 

Dawna, who marked her first birthday while still in the hospital, is now home and once again filling their lives with joy. That fact is so much sweeter given that just a couple of months ago, the family was unsure if Dawna Kay would even survive.

The moment their world was turned upside down

It was around 6 p.m. that Saturday evening, Sept. 7,  when Darci was on her way home after working at the Little North Fork Country Store in Thornfield. She had picked up Dawna Kay at her mom Crystal Ray’s house and was heading home.

Driving her 2014 Chevy Cruze northbound on Highway 5, she clicked on her blinker and stopped in the roadway in preparation to turn onto Highway 95 south toward their house. A few moments later, her world was turned upside down. The deafening sound of metal on metal screeched through the air, and she and Dawna Kay were suddenly catapulted forward as a 2017 Ford F-250 pickup plowed into the rear of the vehicle.

Darci, in shock from the incident, got herself out of the car and attempted to open the door to get to Dawna Kay, but the car door was jammed due to the collision. 

Another motorist, who witnessed the crash had stopped to see if everyone was OK, ran over to help Darci. Together, they managed to force the jammed door open and found Dawna Kay badly injured, with blood flowing from her nose and ears. Though she was breathing, her breath was irregular, and she remained unresponsive despite their attempts to talk to her. Fearing they might worsen her injuries, they refrained from moving her and waited anxiously for first responders to arrive.

‘It’s bad...’

Dawna Kay’s other grandmother, Lisa Pellham, who also lives nearby, said she was at work when the crash occurred.

“I am an RN and work weekends at Heart of the Ozarks in Ava. My husband, Brad Pellham, called me on my cellphone, and I knew something was wrong,” Lisa told the Times. “He said, ‘You need to get here now. Darci and Dawna were in a wreck -- and it’s bad.”

Lisa’s heart caught, and she closed her eyes. “Are they alive?” she asked.

“Yes, but it’s bad,” Brad told her. Lisa ran out of the building to her car and drove south toward the crash, praying all the way.

“I barely remember driving...” Lisa said. When she came upon the scene, she parked and ran toward the crash. A first responder stopped her and told her it was the scene of an accident.

“That’s my grandbaby!” she said. The EMS worker stepped aside, and Lisa ran toward the car. Darci was standing outside, and Dawna was still strapped into her car seat, unresponsive.

An extended stay in the hospital

After some time, a helicopter ambulance arrived and landed at the junction of Highways 5 and 95. EMS workers carefully transferred Dawna Kay to the aircraft. Darci climbed in as well, and they readied for takeoff toward Springfield. Lisa, Brad and Jordan (Darci’s husband and Dawna’s dad), got back into Lisa’s vehicle, and together they drove north toward the hospital. 

When they arrived at Cox South, Dawna Kay was in the emergency room, sedated and on a ventilator. Darci was also evaluated by doctors for injuries from the crash. A CT scan revealed she had sustained a cervical strain, but she did not require hospitalization. 

Due to the severity of Dawna Kay’s injuries, doctors decided she needed to be transferred to Mercy Children’s Hospital in Kansas City. A flight crew from the hospital flew down to transport her back to Kansas City.

Jordan, Darci and Lisa, along with Darci’s mom Crystal, made the long drive to be by her side. “It was the longest trip of my life. We had no idea how Dawna was doing,” Lisa shared with the Times.

When they arrived, they were told by the medical staff that Dawna was undergoing several procedures, and they needed to keep the environment as sterile as possible, so they wouldn’t be unable to see her for several hours. Dawna was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), where she remained for 10 days. 

“When we finally got to see Dawna, she was hooked up to so much stuff... as a nurse I knew it was serious,” Lisa said. A CT scan confirmed that Dawna had sustained several facial and skull fractures and had multiple small brain bleeds. The doctors informed the family that, at that point, they couldn’t determine whether Dawna had suffered brain damage from her injuries.

“It was a couple of days before the neurologist showed us the CT scan that showed Dawna didn’t have any permanent brain damage. Praise God! We didn’t know if she would wake up, or if she would ever be ‘normal,’ or if she could even see,” Lisa said. 

Dawna Kay was on the ventilator for five days when her doctors told the family they were hopeful she could be removed from the device the next morning. But that night she had several seizures, and therefore she remained on the device for another two days. After a week in the hospital, she was finally able to be extubated - and her family was able to hold her. After 10 days in the pediatric intensive care unit, she was transferred to a step-down unit and finally an inpatient rehab. She was discharged from the hospital after 32 days and was able to return home Oct. 8. 

A community that cares

As the family stayed by Dawna’s side in the hospital, the community rallied around them, finding heartfelt ways to offer support. Local businesses and individuals organized multiple fundraisers, and the Ava School District hosted a “miracle minute” during a football game, where donations were collected in a passed bucket. Additionally, a family member set up a GoFundMe account to help Jordan and Darci cover expenses during their time away from work. In total, more than 100 donors contributed $9,000 to the fund.

Lisa said the outpouring of love and prayers brought immense comfort during those difficult days. “The first nights in the ICU were incredibly stressful, but I tell everyone that I felt like my body was vibrating—I honestly think it was from all the prayers. I have never felt so much support. Our little community is truly amazing. I’m still overwhelmed by the generosity we’ve received. It has restored my faith in humanity.”

What the future holds

Nearly two months after returning home, Dawna Kay’s recovery is ongoing. The good news is that all the fractures to her face and skull have healed, and she has been seizure-free since starting preventative medication. 

However, she has developed diabetes insipidus, which causes excessive urine production. To manage the condition, she takes medication to help maintain normal sodium levels. 

Her right eye, which was damaged in the crash, also remains partially closed, but doctors are planning a future surgery to address the cause. Despite these challenges, her medical team remains optimistic about a full recovery. Dawna has a follow-up appointment at Mercy Children’s Hospital in Kansas City in December, and her local nurse practitioner, Trisha Vigna, is closely monitoring her progress to ensure she meets all developmental milestones.

Jordan and Darci have returned to work, which means that Lisa and Crystal have been thrilled to have a lots of Dawna Kay-time when they get to babysit. “Life is good. We are so thankful seeing Dawna being the happy little girl that she has always been,” Lisa said.

Counting their blessings

The Dimirsky family’s journey over the past few months has been filled with trials, heartbreak, and hope—but it’s a journey that has brought them to a place of deep gratitude this Thanksgiving season.

Through the darkest days of uncertainty, they found strength in each other and in the community of family, friends and medical professionals who supported them along the way. Today, seeing little Dawna Kay at home—laughing, playing and bringing joy to everyone around her—is a testament to the power of faith and love.

Though challenges remain, the Dimirsky family remains optimistic about Dawna Kay’s future, cherishing every small milestone and moment together. For them, this Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday—it’s a celebration of life, hope and the blessings they hold dear - especially their little “miracle baby,” sweet Dawna Kay.