She was run over, was in a coma for a month, and then came back from the dead: "My dad was told to come in and say goodbye."

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Desirée , her mother and 21 other people who were attacked were on the sidewalk of Colón Street ( Godoy Cruz ), at the door of the Plaza Theater and where they were waiting for Soledad Silveyra and Verónica Llinás to greet them after having enjoyed their play in the hall.

Mabel Sita (71) , Desirée 's mother, is an actress and director. Gabriel Rodríguez (73) , the young woman's father, is a guitarist . They met almost by chance, when he had to replace her in the band of Rubén Sita , Mabel's cousin and with whom she worked as the show's director. 40 years have passed since that day in 1985 .

In 1994 , against all medical odds, Gabriela Desirée Rodríguez Sita was born. Mabel and Gabriel had been told, after several attempts at parenthood, that they would never conceive . Mabel's only pregnancy was with Desirée .

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"I always think it's a miracle , because I had endometriosis and I'd been told I'd never be able to have children . And when we'd already decided to adopt , a month later I got pregnant . That's why we named her 'Desirée,' which means 'much desired, much awaited,'" Mabel recalls.

Her parents' artistic genes did not leave Desi alone, and she discovered her love for singing from a very young age. A music teacher at ISEP , in first grade, recommended that she join the school choir after hearing her sing. She also recommended that Mabel and Gabriel sign her up for private singing lessons .

That's how, at age 11 , Desirée began taking lessons with "Tato" Caparotta , part of a traditional and well-known family of singers from Mendoza . "The first song he made me sing was a tango, 'Like Two Strangers,' " recalls the young woman, who will turn 31 on September 18 (her first birthday).

It didn't take Caparotta long to notice Desi 's talent , so—with her parents' permission—he selected her to sing zarzuela and perform in various theaters and stages in Mendoza . These were Desirée's first artistic tours , with her parents always by her side.

On September 18, 2009 , Desirée turned 15. The celebration was unforgettable, but not like other quinceañeras'. Desi sang in front of her family and guests at the Hotel Huentala 's micro-theater.

"It was a show , I wanted to sing . I sang the song Titanic , by Céline Dion , 'Just Like Two Strangers' , 'Skytrain' , 'Beat It' and 'Thriller', by Michael Jackson , among others. Between costume changes , my dad played the guitar , a song by Santana ," the artist recalls.

While in high school , Desirée was part of her first band with some classmates and even a teacher, which she kept up once she left school . They sang in bars and at the Plaza de Godoy Cruz Theater , located less than 10 blocks from her home , and the same place where she would be reborn in July 2022 after a brutal accident .

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In addition to her band , the young woman also sang in the Castelmonte parish , and even participated in plays where her mother was the director.

Desirée has attended three university programs . In 2014 , she enrolled in the Law program at UNCuyo , where she realized in just six months that it wasn't for her. The following year, she enrolled in the Medicine program at the University of Mendoza , where she studied for three years . And, although she is passionate about health issues, her impressionable nature and a conversation with a psychologist helped her realize that she couldn't pursue it .

When she dropped out of medical school , the young woman enrolled in social work , a program she'll soon complete , barring any problems. But she never abandoned her love of music , so much so that she began writing her first songs during those years and even pitched a producer some ideas for the melodies she'd imagined for them.

And when it comes to musical genres , Desirée prefers not to pigeonhole herself into just one. She enjoys classical , rock, and pop music equally, and in recent years, she's fallen in love with trap . In fact, a photo she took with Wos during one of our visits to Mendoza stands out in her living room.

On July 10, 2022 , Desirée and her mother had gone to see the play by Soledad Silveyra and Verónica Llinás at the Plaza Theater .

" July 13 was my birthday and they had given me the ticket ," Mabel recalls.

At around 10:30 p.m. , mother and daughter were waiting on the sidewalk outside the theater for the two actresses to come out to greet them and try to take a photo . It was at that moment when a VW Virtus with an automatic transmission , driven by Aldo Díaz - which was parked nose-first in front of the theater, on the side of the plaza - sped backwards , hitting 23 people who - like Desirée and her mother - were waiting at the door of the theater .

" Suddenly the car came at everyone, but I didn't realize it , it was all a matter of seconds ," Desi recalls.

" To this day, I don't remember what happened, and I didn't see it at the time. I was on my back and my fall was so violent that I was rendered unconscious . I only know what I've been told and what I saw in the video ," the artist describes.

" The blow was so violent that, with her head and as she fell, she broke the curtain on the theater door ," her parents added.

The scene of Desi lying on the floor , motionless , with her eyes open and with blood flowing from both ears and her mouth was truly terrifying .

"She looked like she was dead ," her parents admit, a shiver running down their spines just remembering the image. But Desirée 's injury was internal , a cerebral edema .

Desirée spent exactly one month in the Central Hospital , from July 10 to August 10, 2022. In total, she spent 22 days in an induced coma as a result of cerebral edema . They had to wait for her brain swelling to go down , so there was no choice but to keep her asleep, because she was also on a ventilator and connected to countless equipment.

Gabriel entered the intensive care unit every day to see his daughter, and he cried silently when he looked at her. He and his wife were the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave , well into the early hours.

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To monitor Desirée's brain , doctors performed an ICP (intracranial pressure) test , which consisted of making a small hole in the skull with a special drill and inserting a probe . This was key because it allowed them to avoid surgery that required opening the head.

After the first 22 days , the prognosis became more encouraging and, although specialists confirmed that his life was no longer at risk , concern now focused on the imminent after-effects (intellectual and/or motor).

When the singer came to, she had no memory of what had happened . Her last memories were of herself at the theater door , and suddenly she found herself in a hospital room , with little idea of ​​where she was or why she was there .

"The doctors had told my parents not to tell me what had happened, because it could cause trauma ," recalls Desirée, who adds that she couldn't speak either , as she had a tracheotomy . A whiteboard and a marker were her means of communication.

Desperation and anguish strengthened the faith of the Rodríguez Sita family . They experienced episodes that, as they themselves say, fit the axiom: "believe it or die."

"The doctors said that I would probably have after-effects from the edema . But my mom came in every night , and when no one was looking, she put a few drops of Saint Charbel oil on my head, drawing a cross with her fingers . And, believe it or not, the edema gradually shrank until it disappeared," the young woman recalls, based on what her parents told her about those endless days .

Saint Charbel is a saint from Lebanon , from the Maronite Catholic Church . In Mendoza, the church of San Marón is located in Godoy Cruz , and the entire family is devoted to this saint. It was in 2014 when they approached and devotion began to grow, after Mabel was diagnosed with a giant tumor in her uterus . After applying a few drops of oil , they performed a biopsy. And, as Mabel recalled , the result confirmed that the tumor was not malignant .

Desirée Rodríguez left the Central Hospital on August 10, 2022. She weighed 37 kilos , and her hair —always so well-groomed and abundant—was falling out in clumps . Her voice , the one she loved so much and that had allowed her to fulfill her dream of becoming a singer, was deeper and raspier as a result of the tracheotomy . But Desirée was alive .

"I was happy, but I couldn't help but worry because I couldn't speak . And I thought, 'How am I going to sing?' " the artist recalls.

Part of his rehabilitation included speech therapy and otolaryngology to train his voice , as well as modulation and pronunciation . He also underwent audiometry and neurological studies . The three months following discharge were spent resting at home and engaging in light activity .

A month before the accident , the young woman had started working in the administrative department at Portezuelo, Los Olivos, and Platero schools. She continues to work there today, and she says she will never find enough words to express her gratitude for their support .

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"At school they always supported me, not only at work and paying my salary the whole time, but they also prayed for me every day," Desi recalls.

Armed with patience, Desirée Rodríguez began to recover . It wasn't easy because, a perfectionist as she had always been with her voice , she heard that her singing wasn't optimal . And she thought to herself, sadly, that she would never be able to sing again .

Meanwhile, to pursue her passion, she devoted herself to writing song lyrics . In 2024 , the speech therapist discharged her, and the Mendoza native decided to record a new song . She had already recorded "No mires atrás," "La Jaula," and "La Música."

"In January 2024, I went to the studio and asked to be recorded. I wanted to do it no matter what . That's how 'Who Told You?' came out, and it came out beautiful !" she recalls, excited. It was followed by "Until Darkness," which completes her quintet of songs.

On September 18th of last year, Desirée turned 30 , or, as she calls it, "her second 15." Just like her first 15, the celebration included a live performance for all the guests, in the same venue as in 2009.

"I don't know the hour or minute of my death , because your life changes in a second . But you always have to express what you feel, let yourself be , you have to move forward with joy, having faith and enjoying family and friends," he thinks aloud.

Aldo Díaz was the driver of the vehicle whose unintentional maneuver struck Desirée and the other 22 victims . According to the young woman and her family, to this day, the man has never come to check on them.

"The only time we saw him was at the criminal trial , where he was found guilty . He was given a suspended sentence and banned from driving again. In fact, he shouldn't have been driving the day of the accident either , because he didn't have a valid license ," Desirée recalls. She adds that on the day of the hearing, Díaz apologized to her .

The civil case , meanwhile, awaits trial .