Dawson Oliver was supposed to be picking out earrings for prom. Instead, her mother was praying she'd make a sound — any sound at all.

"She's always been a kid who worked hard. She was dedicated to whatever she did. She was kind, she was thoughtful," said Hilary Hightower. "She was a killer on the softball field. She was a natural on the back of a horse. All the things you hope your kid is and will be."

Stroke changed everything overnight

It's not easy for Hightower to talk about her daughter.

"We were supposed to go pick out earrings for prom that day, you know? And it's just things like that that seem so small. So insignificant that you're just like, I'd give anything to be looking for earrings right now," she said.

In March 2024, Hightower's 16-year-old daughter suffered multiple s

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