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Last updated on Thursday, July 26, 2012
(JOHNSON COUNTY) - Alice Velasquez spends her days and nights at her daughter’s bedside.
Julian Grace, of WISH TV, reports, just a week ago, the mother of four used the shirt off her back to save her 10-year-old daughter's life.
The adventurous little girl, Tahlia, and Alice went for a bike ride in a rural part of Johnson County. Everything went fine until Tahlia took a curve too fast and plunged over a guardrail and landed in a dry creek.
"As I get closer, I get a sinking feeling in my gut," said Alice Velasquez.
After the 15-foot drop, Tahlia was unconscious, bleeding profusely, and in need of medical attention. With little time to waste, Alice made her way to her daughter's side. But it wasn't good.
"My heart stopped. I started screaming at God and screaming at her," said Velasquez.
Tahlia had a huge gash on her thigh where part of her bone was visible. Alice quickly ripped her shirt off, turned it into a tourniquet and placed it around her daughter's leg.
The former police officer then made the difficult decision to leave her daughter's side and get help.
"I can hear her screaming, 'Please don't leave me, please don't leave me,'" Velasquez said as she took a dramatic pause.
There were no homes around the creek so Alice hopped on her bike and traveled for about 20 minutes before she found a man who called 911.
Emergency crews would arrive moments later. They pulled Tahlia up from the creek, and placed her in a helicopter, where she was treated at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health.
Tahlia has endured several surgeries. Doctors say the little girl may have died if her mother did not make the tourniquet. Doctors have released Tahlia From the hospital. Although she is progressing, it's unclear if she will fully recover from her injures.
Bargersville and White River Township firefighters rescued Tahlia Velasquez on July 13 by pulling her up the embankment and putting her on a medical helicopter.
"If it wasn't for my mother, I would be dead," said Tahlia Velasquez
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