Petra Anderson: Aurora victim makes miracle recovery (VIDEO)

Petra Anderson's doctor said it's a miracle she's alive.

A shotgun pellet from the gun of James Eagan Holmes had stuck her in the head and entered her brain, according to Mercury News. 

Anderson's pastor, Brad Strait, recalled the incident in his blog: 

"Her injuries were severe, and her condition was critical. A bullet had entered Petra’s face through her nose, and then traveled up through her brain until stopping at the back of her skull. The doctors prior to surgery were concerned, because so much of the brain had been traversed by the bullet."

Neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Rauzzino told the Mercury News that "If the bullet had wavered a millimeter in any direction, she would have likely either died or been severely injured."

But it didn't. And here's the miraculous reason:

A birth "defect" saved Anderson.

According to Strait, "Petra’s brain has had from birth a small “defect” in it. It is a tiny channel of fluid running through her skull." When "the shotgun buck shot…enter[ed] her brain from the exact point of this defect. Like a marble through a small tube, the defect channels the bullet from Petra’s nose through her brain. It turns slightly several times, and comes to rest at the rear of her brain. And in the process, the bullet misses all the vital areas of the brain."

Although her recovery is remarkable, it is, of course, not free. As CNN reported, the Anderson family will struggle to pay the medical bills. 

The Hope Rises Relief Fund has initiated a campaign to raise money for the Andersons. So far they have raised $247,630 dollars. You can find the website here.

CNN reported on the story.