By Jose Serrano (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Apr 13, 2015 11:24 PM EDT
Tags sharista giles, Coma, birth, birth in coma, mom wakes from coma, tennessee mom, tennesse mom coma, tennesse mom birth, sharista giles coma, sharista giles birth

Sharista Giles became a mother three months ago, only she didn't know it until last week.

Giles, 20, was in a near-fatal accident just before Christmas that left her in a coma and unborn "Baby L's" life in danger.

The expecting mother - who had just attended a concert with friends - had taken off her seatbelt to lay down in the fetal position, facing the driver. Slick road conditions forced the car to hydroplane before hitting a concrete barrier head-on.

Doctors originally said Giles would never wake up, yet her family remained optimistic. On April 8, their prayers were answered.

"They kept the baby in as long as they could because he needed to grow more because when she first went into the coma he would not be able to survive on his own," said family friend Shandy McDonald in an interview with ABC. "My aunt called me and told me that Sharista had opened her eyes and if I've heard and I said 'no.' I just said praise the lord."

"Baby L" weighed in at one-pound, six-ounces and carried only a 10 percent chance of survival after doctors delivered him by caesarian section last January. Like his mother, the baby has persevered and weighs over six pounds, though he is still in the University of Tennessee Medical Center's neonatal intensive care unit.

Relatives rushed to Giles' sides when medical staff at Harriman Care and Rehabilitation Center notified them of her awakening. First she blinked. Then she squeezed family members' hands. Now, Giles has begun to mover her neck and often turns towards a bulletin board filled with "Baby L's" pictures set up next to her bed.

"We're really happy with all the progress that's has made," said family member Tonya Connor. "Hopefully, pretty soon she'll get to see and hold her baby."

The family set up GoFundMe and Facebook pages to help with medical bills and emotional support. They have raised over $11,000 of their $15,000 goal thus far.

What would you do if a family member went into a coma during a pregnancy? Would you believe doctors' original diagnosis? Or would you hold out hope that they recovered?

© 2015 Latinos Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.