The 5-year-old Hector Garcia Elementary School student, who was struck by an SUV while crossing a road with her mother on Tuesday morning, was still in ICU at Scott & White Memorial Hospital but her condition has improved, Humberto Moreno said, tired and still somewhat in a state of disbelief.
"There is no brain damage," he said.
"There was a tear or something on her liver, which caused internal bleeding," Nickie Moreno, Alyson's mother, said Wednesday.
"The doctors said that she will be OK. She was stable enough to be operated on this afternoon for a broken femur. "They are putting a plate in her leg. She also has a fractured pelvic bone, which they will leave to heal by itself."
The Morenos and other members of the family had been at Alyson's bedside since the accident.
Tuesday morning started out no differently than any other school morning for the Moreno family.
Moreno was home after working a nightshift. Mrs. Moreno was preparing their children for the school day ahead.
On the way to the bus stop on North 20th Street and Barton Avenue one of the girls needed to use the bathroom and ran home to do that, Moreno said. The child then returned to her mother, ready to cross West Adams Avenue.
As she does every day, Nickie was walking the children across East Adams Avenue to the bus stop on North 20th. She was holding her 5-year-old's hand and speaking to the elder daughter.
"Alyson was not walking alone with a group of other children, Moreno said. "She was walking with her mother like she does everyday."
Mrs. Moreno said they stopped in the turn lane to check for traffic and she turned to her older daughter to say something when Alyson dropped her mother's hand and moved into the path of an oncoming SUV.
The few next moments were a blur - of confusion and disbelief.
Moreno was at the front door and heard the impact, but didn't realize right away what had happened. "It just happened so quickly. You could hear it. It was very loud. Aly was not dragged 60 yards as reported. It was a lot less than that," he said. "When I looked, Alyson seemed to be spinning on the ground, right across from our home."
He ran across the road, picked up his daughter and carried her to a couch on the front porch. He tried to get a response from her.
"I was saying, 'Aly, can you hear me? Aly! Aly!'" he said. When paramedics arrived she opened her eyes.
On Wednesday evening just after 6 p.m. the family, who were standing in the hospital parking lot, got a call saying that Alyson was back in her hospital bed after surgery on her leg.
The family said they have fantastic support from family, friends and classmates of Alyson.
"Alyson's room is covered in cards that her classmates made for her," Moreno said.
The family is thankful that Alyson will recover from her injuries.
"She is strong," said Donna Heath, Alyson's grandmother. "She has a long way to go, but this will make her stronger. It will make us all stronger. I know a lot of people are praying for her," she said.
"There is no use trying to lay blame here," Heath said. "It is not the school district's fault, it certainly isn't my daughter's fault. Alyson isn't at fault, nor is the driver. This was just an awful accident. If people want to do something for this family, please pray. Pray for my granddaughter and pray for the driver and for the kindergarten children that have learned about this."
