Whatever Happened to Eden Miranda, The Boy Whose Family Was Killed In A Lodi Crash?
LODI (CBS13) — Hearts were broken after a horrific crash in October 2013 that claimed a little boy's entire family.
Eden Miranda was the only one in his family of seven to survive a horrible DUI crash on the streets of Lodi.
CBS13's Tony Lopez sees what's happened since the deadly crash.
It was one of the most horrific car crashes the area had ever seen. One look at the wreckage and you had to wonder, how could anyone survive this?
Eden Miranda's family did not. His father Luis; his mother Vivian; her unborn child; his brothers Irvin, Jose, Luis; and his little sister Stephanie were all gone in an instant.
Eden's legs were broken, his liver was punctured, his head was cut open and his life was ripped apart.
But he survived.
No one wanted to imagine the details of how it happened, when sadness turned to anger.
Investigators say Ryan Morales had shared a bottle of vodka with his dad, then got behind the wheel. At one point, they say he was traveling more than 100 mph down a Lodi street.
Eden's family and six others injured in the multi-vehicle crash never saw it coming.
But after such a senseless tragedy was a reaction overflowing with love. From blood drives to yard sales, strangers stepped up big time to raise money for Eden's recovery and his future.
At the time, that future looked as dark as that October day. But he had an answer when someone asked Eden about his family that brought Heritage Elementary Principal Christine Malandro to tears.
"He said Heritage is my family," she said.
The Lodi school is where Eden and all of his siblings attended, and where he wanted to stay. His extended family in Mexico and Southern California understood.
And when a friend of Eden's mother, his godmother, wrapped her arms around the 9-year-old, it became clear.
"We were very excited when we found out he was going to remain here and going to be with his godmother," Malandro said. "I mean, when he returned to school he was like a rock star. He has his little crew that would just follow him around always."
The family he lost follows him as well. The bench on the school campus honors the memories of his loved ones.
The plaque in part reads, "Those we hold closest to our hearts never truly leave us."
The principal knows Eden's godmother well, which is why she was asked to speak on her behalf.
Does the boy know what happened?
"No, at first he did not, and I don't believe he does now either," she said.
We were allowed to capture video of the then fifth-grader during recess, playing basketball with his buddies.
"Physically he's running around," his principal said. "He's had minor surgeries to take pins out of his knees, and things of that nature, but he's in the running club, he's participating in P.E."
"He's a happy, funny child; he's got a great sense of humor," she said. "Emotionally he has healing to go of course. It's something that will always be with him."
Something else that will always be with Eden will be a sense of belonging, of being loved, of being wanted.
For a little boy who lost so much, short of bringing his family back, that is the greatest gift he could ask for.
A family member tells us that Eden moved in with his uncle and his Godmother in a different state. He is now 12 years old and is "doing well." Eden would like to thank everyone for their continued prayers.