Teen who survived near-drowning to graduate high school against all odds

CHARLOTTE — This teenager will graduate from high school this weekend after defying the odds.

In 2014, Samiyah Brown was playing in a creek before she started drowning. Her 11-year-old brother, Randez Brown, jumped in to save her life, but lost his.

“My brother tried to save me. Well, he did save me, and I’m grateful for that. But, um, it has been hard,” Brown said.

She suffered brain damage and was in critical condition in the hospital for months.

“At the beginning, when I first found out, I kind of wished he didn’t save me so he could live his dreams. But I’m glad he did, because I’m living mine,” Brown told Channel 9.

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This weekend, Brown will graduate from Olympic High School at Bojangles Coliseum. It will be a moment she wasn’t sure she’d ever see.

“I have waited for this day since I first came to school. It’s a big deal for me,” Brown said.

Brown’s mother, Shaconda Mungo, said her journey has been a harrowing one. She said some doctors had little faith in her daughters’ ability to recover.

“She was like a vegetable in a coma. They said that’s how she’s going to be for the rest of her life. They wanted me to make some decisions on pulling the plug. But I was like, no, I’m not going to it, because I know it’s not going to be two kids to pass like that,” Mungo explained.

Mungo’s decision gave Brown a fighting chance and is why she is able to stand near the pond that almost took her life.

“She is a miracle. She is my miracle child, and she has come a long way,” said Mungo.

And that long journey is leading her to a stage that will showcase her academic accomplishments while encouraging others to defy the odds.

“Don’t give up. Find your anchor, like somebody that grounds you, even if that person is not always physically with you, because they’re always in your heart,” Brown elaborated.

And her brother will forever remain in her heart. She said that while they were a few years apart, they were extremely close and did everything together.

“I’m proud to call him my brother. My best friend. My whole life,” Brown expressed.

After Brown crosses the stage, she wants to open a business where she can also help others.

VIDEO: 11-year-old boy dies after jumping into creek to save sister

11-year-old boy dies after jumping into creek to save sister Seven-year-old Samiyah Brown was in critical condition Friday and doctors said the first 72 hours are crucial to her survival.