Kimberly was in the womb when her mother Kendra Villanueva was struck by lightning on July 4 last year (Picture: KOAT/ABC)

Her parents call her their ‘little Flash Gordon’ after she miraculously survived an emergency C-section when her mum was struck by lightning last July.

One-year-old Kimberly Gordon amazingly survived the lightning bolt which hit her mum during an Independence Day fireworks display in New Mexico, but has had permanently static hair ever since.

Dad, Ian Gordon, told ABC News that his girlfriend, Kendra Villanueva, was two weeks from her due date when the couple – and their unborn baby – were hit with the bolt from the blue during a rainstorm.

Kimberly’s still recovering from the lightning bolt which has left her with permanently static hair (Picture: Facebook)

It is believed the thunderbolt went through Gordon’s ear (blowing out his eardrum) before jumping to Kendra’s body and leaving through her thumb.




The couple were rushed to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where Kendra was induced and gave birth to baby Kimberly.

Just over a year on, Kimberly still has neurological damage from the lightning strike. She can’t sit up, crawl or digest food properly. Doctors admit they don’t know when she’ll start to walk and talk and have no idea why her hair is still static.

Kendra and Ian says it’s hard to watch their daughter struggle to eat but they’re just relieved she survived the traumatic experience (Picture: Facebook)

But, Ian and Kendra are just hugely relieved she survived the shock. ‘Everybody we’ve seen says it’s a miracle she’s alive,’ Ian says. ‘She’s just kind of a play-it-by ear baby.’

The emergency medical technician who treated the couple reportedly told them that there have only been 11 incidents on record ever of a pregnant woman getting struck by lightning. Of those 11, he said that only half of the newborns survived.

Watch out Wolverine – could miracle baby Kimberly have superhero powers? (Picture: Facebook)

‘Somebody’s definitely watching out for us,’ says Ian, who now harbours hopes that his miracle mini ‘Flash Gordon’ will grow up to ‘run fast, or save the universe’.

Well, she’s already got superhero hair.

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