(WJW) – Dec. 23, 2022 is a date Erica Martino will never forget. Her daughter, 22-year-old Janay Johnson, started that evening with friends.

“So, she was picked up by a friend and they weren’t out to celebrate Christmas together,” explained Martino. 

Martino says she was worried, like any parent, about her daughter going out with an incoming snowstorm expected overnight.

However, she could have never imagined the call she would get hours later.

“I got a call around three in the morning that Janay was outside, extremely hypothermic, unconscious, blue or purple from her butt to her toes,” shared Martino. 

Martino says her daughter doesn’t remember how it happened, but Janay had gotten separated from her friend group on their return home from the night out. 

Janay got stuck in the blizzard conditions and spent three hours out in the elements. 

Finally, a passerby found Janay huddled near a snowbank and immediately dialed 911. 

“I go over and over in my head how this happened. There is just no thoughts to explain it,” said Martino. 

Janay was rushed to Hillcrest Hospital, where doctors went to work immediately to save the 22-year-old. 

“Doctors told us that probably just a few more minutes and she would not have made it. He didn’t think she would pull through when she arrived,” shared Martino. 

Thankfully, Janay is pulling through, but it’s been a slow and painful road to recovery.

“It’s exhausting, it’s frustrating, every day there is something different popping up that we didn’t foresee happening,” explained Martino. 

Martino has had to take a leave of absence from her work as a nurse to help in her daughter’s recovery.

Janay is the primary caregiver for her 5-year-old niece, who has severe autism. Martino is helping to take care of her, while Janay continues to recover.  A GoFundMe has started to help Janay and her family.

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