Home State: North Carolina
Crash Anniversary: December 5, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007, was an ordinary day, it was the 3rd day at my new job, and 2 of my kids went to school at Marvin Ridge High. I thought nothing about getting in my car to drive to Target, 6.5 miles away at 9:00 pm. I was driving and my husband was in the front passenger seat. There are all kinds of statistics about auto accidents occurring within 1 mile of your home. Mine was 1.1 miles away. We were heading north on Providence Road, when I saw a vehicle heading towards me, in my lane. I immediately cut to the right, put both feet on the brake and braced myself. That was a bad plan. The impact of a head-on collision is bad enough, but when you slam both feet on the brake, the bones in your legs will shatter. The instantaneous pain is beyond explanation. I couldn’t feel the rest of my body, but I had a broken neck, several broken ribs, a lacerated liver, a compound fracture of my right femur and multiple fractures of my left femur and tibia. Luckily my husband sustained only minor injuries because one of us had to take care of the kids. The 23 year old woman who hit us head-on was passed out behind the wheel of her Mazda pickup truck. She sustained no injuries, and blew a .17 at the scene.
Just like anyone who has had major injuries, recovery was long and arduous. To save my legs the doctors had to put stainless steel bars and pins on both femurs and my left tibia. The bones in my legs were so badly broken; they wouldn’t be able to hold me up without the metal bars. I was non weight bearing for 4 months, so my legs could heal. Once I was told I could walk again, I couldn’t physically. Who knew that if you damage your legs as badly as I had, and not use them for 4 months, your legs did not know what to do? Over the next 6 months with the help of several, patient physical therapists, I learned how to walk again.
Driving was another story. My biggest fear was driving past the accident site, and once I started to drive again, that was my route. Several years later I had had enough, sold my house and moved away from that area.
Not being able to keep my job was understandable, because I had only been working there for 3 days, and I would not be able to go back to work for a full year. Losing a job was the least of my issues. My relationship with my husband was so strained with my year on opioids, multiple surgeries, hours of physical therapy and doctor’s visits that our 30 year marriage ended in divorce.
Today, with the love and support of my kids and friends, I work full time as the VP of Finance for a local, not for profit. I still see a physical therapist regularly, to help control the pain without medication. To stay in shape, I walk my 8 lb. Maltipoo, named Rilee, who thinks she is a human.
Volunteering is an important part of my life. When I started volunteering with MADD, I wasn’t sure what I would do for the organization, but right away I started speaking at local high schools about my accident, and how much it affected my world. Afterward, some of the students have offered their condolences, which make me feel my story has them thinking about the consequences of drinking and driving.
Get The Word Out