"I put the car in park and I just ran to him and I started shaking his head," Don Smith told WTXF. "And I said, 'No, you can't leave me. You can't leave me.'"

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Justin Smith was taken to a nearby hospital. Since he was frozen, the doctors could not pronounce him dead, so they warmed him up and shocked his heart.

"Next thing I know, I'm waking up in (the hospital)," Justin Smith said. "Family was all around me. I was shocked.

Eleven months later, Justin Smith is what doctors are calling a medical miracle. He is missing all his toes and a couple of fingers, but his doctor,  James Wu, said he is completely normal.

"I knew my pinkies were gone, (but it) could have been a lot worse. (The doctors made) the extra effort and I can't thank them enough. They're amazing and I can't thank them enough."

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez