Teen survives being shot in head; family needs help

A 13-year-old shot in the head during a drive-by continues a miraculous recovery from the brink of death. 

He's a single dad with a special daughter, a child whose story we first brought you six years ago  when a tragedy nearly took her life.

"They said she wasn't going to make it," said Curtis White. 

Curtis would not give up, would not let go. It was August 2009 and his daughter was shot in the head talking to friends by an alleged gang member on Detroit's east side.

Dreia Davis was an innocent bystander who doctors said would never recover.

"(Doctors said) she would never move, she would never talk, she would never have a normal life," White said. "I think we proved them wrong."

He believed  and she battled. Today, nearly six years later, Dreia is a senior at the Jerry L. White Center High School. 

"I'm fabulous," she said. 

Though she still has dreams about the shooting.

"They're nightmares," Dreia said.

Her dad tries to make her waking hours happy. Curtis is her caregiver and theirs is a story of commitment, compassion and love.

"I love you," Dreia said to Curtis.

"I love you, too," Curtis said to Dreia.

Each day in their tiny house on Detroit's northwest side, this 45-year-old dad sturdies his back to pick up his daughter and move her between her wheelchair and her bed.

The chair can't make it through the doorways, Curtis admits that it's not easy.

"I think we are one of the forgotten, getting her in and out of this wheelchair," Curtis said. "It's hard moving her around from room to room."

Keifer Stephens was friends with Dreia before she was hurt. He recently tracked her down and reconnected.

"She had to fight her way back," Stephens said. "I said it's time for me to fight for them."

Keifer contacted FOX 2 because he was worried about his friend and their lack of space and all the work Curtis does on his own - and the fact the house is not wheelchair accessible. 

The Problem Solvers are now working to find a home more suitable for their needs - they also need a van with a wheelchair lift.

Keifer has set up a GoFundMe account for his friend, "Dreia the miracle."

This father-daughter duo is together no matter what.

If you would like to help Dreia and Curtis, go to their GoFundMe HERE.