CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — An 11-year-old Corpus Christi athlete is recovering from a pediatric stroke, and her family is sharing her story hoping other parents know the warning signs.
Just a few months ago, Camila Niño was a competitive athlete spending her days playing jiu-jitsu, basketball, and preparing for flag football. Then, one headache changed everything.
"I don't remember much, but I remember being in my pre-athletics class and I had the worst headache of my entire life. It felt almost as if somebody was squeezing my head," Camila said.
The Calallen Middle School student is now working to regain the strength she lost after suffering a pediatric stroke. Her room is filled with a banner made by friends, a Jesus plush toy, crosses — and a smile that looks just a little different these days.
Her mother, Cristal Niño, said the family never imagined a child could have a stroke.
"She was loud and rambunctious... talkative... never bit her tongue," Cristal said.
That big personality is still there. These days, it is showing up in physical therapy, where every stretch, every step, and every exercise brings Camila one step closer to the sports she loves.
Throughout her recovery, one of her biggest cheerleaders has been her older sister and teammate, Callie.
"She never gave up, even on the hardest days," Callie said.
Callie and older brother Caidan visited their little sister in the hospital every day so she never felt alone.
Camila has already been cleared to return to pre-athletics this school year. Her family says they have no doubt she will keep fighting to get back to the competitive life she has always known.
"I'm really proud of myself," Camila said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support Camila's recovery. A link is available here https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-camila-roses-journey-to-recovery This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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