CNN Her Terrifying Accident on a Porch Swing Pushed Her Into the Ultimate Mission of Goodwill Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 16 December 2021 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles CNN Her Terrifying Accident on a Porch Swing Pushed Her Into the Ultimate Mission of Goodwill Lalia Susini overcame a life-threatening accident with the help of her care team at Cedars-Sinai. Photo courtesy of Lalia Susini. CNN recently interviewed 12-year-old Lalia Susini, who suffered a life-threatening traumatic brain injury, and neurosurgeon Moise Danielpour, MD, director of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Program at Cedars-Sinai, who helped save her. Inspired by her experience, Susini now aspires to be a pediatric neurosurgeon and has created a charity clothing line. More than a year ago, a large bolt supporting a swing on the porch of Susini's Hollywood Hills home snapped out of the ceiling while she was swinging and shot through her skull. After her stunned mother called 911, Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics found Susini unconscious and bleeding profusely. They rushed her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. "That projectile had traversed through her skull and into an area of the brain that is responsible for voluntary motor control," Danielpour told CNN. "She was unable to move one side of her body with an open wound. Time was critical." Susini told CNN she thought she was going to die. "I just had no idea what happened," said Susini, who had been pursuing a career in acting and appeared in ABC's Station 19. Danielpour performed a nearly five-hour operation to save Susini's life while preserving as much of her brain function as possible. He later performed an additional surgery to repair her skull and better protect her brain. Susini's left arm is still paralyzed, but she continues physical therapy and is easing back into life. She has designed a line of adaptive clothing for children, with openings for casts and medical tubes, and is donating items to pediatric patients. Susini also hopes to one day fulfill her dream of becoming a pediatric surgeon. "It's wonderful when you can have an impact on a young person's life," Danielpour told CNN. Click here to read the complete article from CNN. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release CNN Her Terrifying Accident on a Porch Swing Pushed Her Into the Ultimate Mission of Goodwill Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home