Laura Moon
In May 2009, Laura Moon walked in the graduation ceremony at Ole Miss, needing only six more hours to complete her degree in Broadcast Journalism. She planned to finish those hours in summer school. However, those plans were abruptly altered in June 21, two days before her 23rd birthday, when Laura had a reaction to a medication, leading to respiratory arrest. By the time she got to the ER, she was in cardiac arrest and then coded. The loss of oxygen to her brain caused an anoxic brain injury. Today, after years of therapy, hard work and a loving family, Laura lives a pretty full life, but she will always need 24/7 care. In spite of her injury, Laura did finish her degree at Ole Miss and was awarded her diploma in 2017.