Tennessee mother dies 3 years after waking from coma

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – The mother of Sharista Giles said her daughter died early Monday morning.

Anna Moser, Giles’s mother, said the cause of death was still being determined, but that her daughter was taken to UT Medical Center.

Giles was recovering after being involved in an accident in 2014 that left the pregnant Sweetwater woman in a coma at UT Medical Center. In April 2015, her family she had begun to wake up from the coma.

After the accident, Giles’s mom said doctors gave Sharista a two percent chance of recovering, but family and friends were confident she would beat the odds.

Sharista and two friends were on their way home in December 2014 from a concert in Nashville late at night, when the tired driver crashed into a guardrail. The other two girls walked away from the accident, but Sharista was trapped in the passenger seat unresponsive. She was four months pregnant with a baby boy, who came to be known as “Baby L.”

“Baby L” was born prematurely, weighing only 2 pounds. He celebrated his third birthday in January. 
Moser said the family has not had time to discuss funeral plans.

The Facebook page, Giles Family Prayers for Sharista Giles & Newborn Baby L, set up by a family member to follow Giles’s journey, also posted about her death this morning: 

Sharista’s father’s family released the following statement on Monday:

“This saddens our hearts tremendously. But we all know she is no longer in pain or suffering. Our Precious Angel is Dancing in the Sky. We are very thankful for all the medical staff from day one that has helped along the way. UT hospital, Sweetwater Hospital, Harriman Care & Rehabilitation Center and Woods Nursing Facility in Sweetwater Tn. We are very Blessed to have her son (Leighton Giles)  to help her memory live on.Sharista’s  son Leighton will grow up knowing how much his mother loved him threw the stories that we all have to tell him about her. Sharista has been such a strong young lady and we all and everyone will miss her everyday.  SharistaStrong.”