Dani Pedroza is an avid cyclist that quickly grew a love for the sport a few years ago.
“She decided to jump into the mountain bike scene, started racing. Raced her first season this year, and won her first series this year,” said Dan Pedreza.
Dan is Dani’s husband, and said last week they traveled to Eagle Nest for a bike trip with friends.
“Mainly it’s to come up and get away from the city, and enjoy the mountain bike and the air of New Mexico,” said her husband.
Last Sunday, they were at the Angel Fire Bike Park, biking down the mountain when…”Towards the bottom of the trail she got a little out of control on one of the table top jumps and landed incorrectly,” said Pedroza.
His wife took a bad fall, but everyone thought she just had a concussion.
“It put a strain on the arteries in her neck and it cracked her helmet at the same time,” he said.
However, Dani’s condition quickly got worse.
“She was slurring her speech, she had no movement on her left side, her left arm, left hand, left leg,” said Pedroza.
After being seen at a hospital in Taos, she was then airlifted to UNMH, and the prognosis was concerning.
“She had suffered multiple strokes from the damage she had had in her carotid arteries,” he said.
Now, the cycling loving woman is on a long road to recovery.
“She has to relearn how to speak… how to walk. Every aspect that we take for granted that we learned as a baby, she’ll have to relearn again,” said Dan Pedroza.
With tremendous community support, the family is staying strong for Dani.
“We all take risks everyday walking across the street… she was doing what she loved and we’re just being positive,” said JJ Smith, Dani’s mom.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Dani Pedroza, as well as a Caring Bridge page with updates.
