Esteria Smith, 9, Drives Her Dad to Hospital After Tumor Impairs His Brain

Esteria Smith, 9, Drives Her Dad to Hospital After Tumor Impairs His Brain
Esteria Smith. (SCreenshot/WJHG)
Zachary Stieber
8/30/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

A tumor in John Smith’s brain began impairing his motor skills so much that his 9-year-old daughter Esteria Smith took over the wheel and drove him to the hospital.

“He told me he couldn’t see and started panicking saying, ”‘I don’t know what to eat, I don’t know what to eat"’ Esteria recalled, reported WJHG. “Then, he gave me his phone, but didn’t tell me what to do! I didn’t know if I needed to call the ambulance or what I needed to do!”

She then took over the wheel.

“He was fighting with me and I couldn’t make the turns that I needed to do” she said. “He was pushing the accelerator and I was right here, [behind him in the backseat] reaching over him, driving with one hand. I hit a curve and we almost ran into the front of an ambulance!”

The two made it safely to Bay Medical in Panama City, Florida, where John Smith had a stage four, golf ball sized tumor in his left brain.

The Smith’s are planning a treatment plan for John Smith’s tumor.