Nationwide — Alexis Scott-Windham, a 23-year-old African American woman from Mobile, Alabama, says that she is thankful that she survived the horrific New Orleans attack. Her mother, Tryphena, helped save her life by giving her advice over the phone on how to stop the bleeding after she had been hit by the truck that killed more than 15 people.Alexis traveled to New Orleans to celebrate the new year with her friends. While standing outside a pizzeria late at night, she saw a truck speeding toward her.
“He was running over people like they were nothing, like they were speed bumps, like he would just run them over,” she told NBC News.
She tried to flee but the truck hit her right foot and she fell to the ground.
“As I’m getting up, I’m seeing a dead body on the side of me,” she said. Thinking about her 1-year-old daughter Skai, she prayed, “Jesus, Jesus. Please, just let me make it home.”
Amid the chaos, Alexis searched for her friend Brandon Whitsett, who was also injured. Police arrived, and an officer quickly assessed her injury and called for an ambulance.
Her friends contacted her mother, who, despite not being a nurse, helped guide them through first aid to apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. A stranger and his girlfriend then drove Scott-Windham to the hospital, where she was treated along with other victims.
Reflecting on her survival, Alexis said, “I was just thankful. I was blessed. I was just grateful. I was just like, ‘Lord, I’m just glad I made it to the hospital, Lord, because it could have been way worse.'”
Her mother, Tryphena, who works alongside her at an Amazon warehouse, also expressed her gratitude. She said, “I nearly lost my daughter. I feel very sad for the other families, but my daughter was spared.”