One year after devastating crash, East Cobb boy named 2026 Miracle Child

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — One year ago, Evan Davis was a 10-year-old soccer player heading to practice.

Today, the East Cobb sixth grader is being recognized across Georgia as a 2026 Miracle Child for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, sharing his story to inspire other families facing the unimaginable.

Evan’s journey began on March 18, 2025, when he was involved in a serious crash at Hawkins Store Road and Canton Road in Marietta. The accident left him with a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures, including severe injuries to his leg and jaw.

When he arrived at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, doctors say his condition was critical.

“He wasn’t talking, he wasn’t moving much of his body on his own,” said Dr. Jeannie Harden, a physiatrist who helped oversee Evan’s rehabilitation. “He needed assistance of multiple people to even sit up in bed.”

Evan had fractured all of the bones in one of his legs and also broke a bone in his jaw. After emergency care stabilized him, he began a long and difficult recovery that included two months of inpatient rehabilitation, where he had to relearn how to walk and talk.

For his family, returning to the hospital now brings back powerful memories.

“Just even driving here, the memories started flowing back,” said his mother, Robyn Davis.

But she says the care they received from doctors, nurses and therapists made an unimaginable experience feel a little less overwhelming.

“You don’t ever want to have to be here,” Davis said. “But if you have to be here, it’s great to be somewhere where the people are incredible and loving and work miracles every day.”

Slowly, through months of therapy and determination, Evan began to make progress that even surprised the medical team who cared for him.

“I remember the first time he said hi to me,” Harden said. “It was just like, oh my goodness, I can’t believe you’re actually talking and you’re awake enough to say hello.”

Today, just one year after the crash, Evan is walking, talking and preparing to return to soccer through an adaptive sports program.

He has also been selected as a 2026 Miracle Child for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, representing Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and helping raise awareness for children receiving specialized medical care.

The honor is given to a small number of children each year whose stories help illustrate the impact of donations that support pediatric hospitals.

For Evan, the opportunity means he can help other kids who are facing their own difficult journeys.

“I feel good because I get to help other kids feel better and raise money for them,” he said.

His mother says that desire to help others is exactly what makes Evan so special.

“He said, I want to do it,” Davis said. “And for a child who has been through so much and it hasn’t even been a year since his accident, for him to recognize and see the ability to help other children who have been through the unimaginable is just a huge feeling of pride.”

As a Miracle Child, Evan will attend events and fundraising campaigns throughout the year that support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

His first appearance will be at the University of Georgia Dance Marathon later this month, where students raise money for children receiving care at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

For the doctors who helped guide his recovery, Evan’s determination is something they say continues to inspire everyone who meets him.

And after everything he has been through, Evan has a simple message for the team who helped him survive.

“Thank you for saving my life.”