The Brief

More than a year after her son suffered permanent injuries in a water accident, a mother is opening up about her family's journey and their newfound "new normal."

The backstory:

On July 30, 2024, a one-year-old Chandler boy named Sebastian was vacationing with his mother, Danitza Maldonado, in Southern California.

Maldonado says her son was a happy, healthy toddler who loved to talk. Their lives changed forever at a friend's home that had a backyard pond and a doggy door.

"It was agreed that the outside metal door, outside the dog door, would stay closed," Maldonado recalled. "And that morning someone left the door open for the dogs on mistake."

Maldonado says she was in the restroom when the accident happened.

"I could hear him outside the door. And when I came out ..

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