Father declares ‘God is good’ after daughter, initially reported dead, is alive
Tesfaye Ailbe is giving God thanks after his teen daughter was found alive after being mistakenly pronounced dead (Credit: KETV via EEW Magazine)
By EEW Magazine News
A Nebraska father is giving praises to God after the worst news of his life turned into the best news.
Tesfaye Ailbe was told that his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Wadiso, had perished over Memorial Day weekend in a catastrophic car crash that left two dead and 20 injured but later learned she had in fact survived.
“Hallelujah, Jesus, thank You,” said the relieved dad in an interview with ABC station KETV. “God is good.”
The devastating collision caused two vehicles to run off the roadway and strike "multiple bystanders who had gathered" to watch a car show, police said in a press release.
Though Wadiso, who had just graduated from high school, was among the injured, her father told KETV, when he first arrived at the scene, he was told that she had been fatally wounded by a vehicle that rolled over her.
Tesfaye Ailbe holds up a photograph of his “miracle” daughter, Hannah Wadiso (Credit: KETV)
"On the road, we cried, fell down on our knees, [and] prayed," he told reporters.
Soon, on the night of May 29, Ailbe’s prayers were answered, when he received a phone call from a person saying they had helped pull Wadiso from underneath a car, though she was "in bad shape."
He then received an additional phone call notifying him that his daughter, who is being called “a miracle,” was at a local hospital alive but in "critical condition,” per KETV.
Wadiso, whose pelvis was crushed, has a long road to recovery ahead. Despite the challenges, her father feels blessed that she is alive.
"The other two didn't get this chance," he said, referring to the deaths of Emily Siebenhor, 20, and Edith Hermosillo, 22, both pronounced dead at the scene after their vehicle was struck.
A GoFundMe was started to help with mounting medical bills, as Wadiso is "hospitalized with at least 10 weeks of rehabilitation planned."
The fundraising organizer describes the teen’s father as a "wonderful" former local African restaurant owner.
"The family is facing immense medical bills and caring for another child with special needs as well at home," the organizer explained, adding, any financial contribution "will be a huge blessing."
Police said the crash occurred shortly before 11 p.m. on May 29, when a Ford Taurus "traveling close to 90 mph" struck a Toyota Corolla carrying the two deceased victims.
Authorities say, the 18-year-old driver of the Ford Taurus, who has since turned himself in, was under the influence of marijuana. He has been arrested and formally charged with two counts of manslaughter and two counts of driving under the influence with serious bodily injury.