The 23-year-old Dallas TikToker, who was the victim of a hit-and-run that killed her best friend in February, miraculously came off the ventilator for the first time since the accident.
Camryn Herriage was seriously injured in a crash that injured five people and killed her roommate and friend, Sarah House.
Their vehicle was waiting at a red light when a Ford pickup truck driven by an extremely intoxicated woman slammed into them, causing a chain reaction crash.
As of last week, Herriage had been on a ventilator for almost two months.
Herriage’s mother, Shirley Campanello, said she has constantly been preparing for the worst, but her daughter has beaten the odds time and time again.
The 23-year-old Dallas TikToker, who was the victim of a hit-and-run that killed her best friend in February, miraculously came off the ventilator for the first time since the accident.
Camryn Herriage, 23, was riding in a car with her college roommate and three other friends on Feb. 11 when her vehicle was struck by a Ford pickup truck.
She feared the worst when she watched her daughter being wheeled into a six-hour surgery that ended up taking just 90 minutes.
‘I knew she was gone. I just knew because he (the doctor) was too fasted… but it was good news, not bad,” she recalled, speaking to Fox 4 News.
Herriage has undergone brain surgery, heart surgery and several operations in between since the tragic accident.
The outlet reported that doctors at Dallas Methodist Medical Center did not expect Herriage to do as well as she did during her harrowing post-accident experience.
“Ninety-eight percent of people wouldn’t have made it, but she did,” her mother said.
As Herriage continues her recovery, it still hasn’t dawned on her that her friend didn’t survive.
Some friends stop by to visit her and her mother says she wonders why they come without Sarah.
He said he “sees the doubt in their eyes.” But the family feels that “Sarah is pushing her” through her intense recovery.
Herriage, today, still has a tube in her throat to help her breathe. Doctors also say they are not yet fully aware of the extent of the young woman’s brain damage.
You may need to relearn even simple movements. But her family remains hopeful that Camryn will one day come home.
‘Several people told us that this is the best we could do. They were pretty sure she would be dependent on a ventilator. It was hope. That was all we had,” her mother said.
Herriage’s best friend and Texas Tech University roommate, Sarah House, (pictured) was tragically killed in the hit-and-run.
Their vehicle was waiting at a red light on Beckley Avenue in Dallas when a Ford pickup truck struck them, causing a chain-vehicle accident that left five people injured and one dead.
Herriage, pictured being wheeled through the hospital, has undergone several intensive surgeries since the accident.
On Sunday, her uncle Tim Herriage said on Facebook that Camryn had been breathing on her own.
Camryn is expected to spend at least two more months in the hospital before being moved to a rehabilitation center.
The suspect in the accident, Carmen Guerrero, 27, remains locked up in the Dallas County Jail.
After the deadly accident, witnesses say they saw Guerrero flee the scene. He now faces several charges, including involuntary manslaughter.
She was arrested 11 days after the collision and after detectives found her wallet in the car.
The accident occurred just two blocks from the apartment Herriage shared with House in a 35 mph zone.
Herriage’s uncle confirmed early last week that his niece was showing positive signs of development.
‘Camryn has been breathing on her own for over 24 hours!’ she wrote on Facebook.
He added: ‘A speech therapist will visit her soon to assess her ability to use voice control.
“This step could lead her to try to talk and, if successful, they could plug the tracheostomy.
‘Furthermore, there are hopeful prospects for Camryn to transition to a normal room within the next week.
‘All of these developments are positive signs of Camryn’s progress. Thank you for your continued support as we receive this good news.”
The woman who allegedly ran after the crash was identified by police as 27-year-old Carmen Guerrero.
Before the devastating accident, Herriage worked as a social media management and branding company based in Lubbock, Texas.
Doctors are now working to determine the extent of his brain damage.
The accident occurred just two blocks from the apartment Herriage shared with House in a 35 mph zone.
House has been remembered on a GoFundMe, which has so far raised more than $36,000, commemorating her “bright spirit and infectious laugh.”
“Sara was known for her compassionate nature and her unwavering desire to make everyone around her happy,” loved ones said last month.
“Her kindness and caring demeanor touched the lives of many people and left a lasting impression on all who knew her.”