My Story

In November 2010, my husband and I were in a massive car accident. I was pregnant at the time. I had a traumatic brain injury, four brain surgeries, a PEG tube, and a shunt in my head. And I went into labor two weeks later, giving birth to a 3 pound, 7 ounce little girl who was two months premature. Thankfully, all three of us are alive today, and my baby is happy, healthy, and well. Throughout the recovery process, my sister-in-law made a video of the first six months of my recovery, and my husband made one of the last six months of my year in rehab. I wrote two entries when returning to blogging and you can read them here:

Personal
Reflections

Videos (you can only view this on a computer, not a mobile):
First six months
Rehabilitation

From this experience, I’ve learned what matters most in life. The people you surround yourself with, for one. Also to be a giving person. I raised funds for two charities – the Wounded Warrior Project charity and the Ronald McDonald House charity. The Wounded Warriors because a lot of soldiers sustain traumatic brain injuries, something I had from the car accident. Also because it’s a charity that’s near and dear to my husband’s heart – he donates to them on a regular basis and was in the service himself. I feel very thankful that he’s never been hurt during his time in the military and appreciate those who serve our country. The Ronald McDonald House charity is because we live about an hour from the hospital I stayed at, and this charity allowed my family to stay close to my daughter while she and I were both in the hospital. We had a home-y room to stay in, a kitchen to cook in, and dinners mostly each week. It was our home away from home. We got to know different families and were thankful that our situation was not worse, even though it was pretty bad. We spent the holidays here and were filled with holiday cheer despite the circumstances. It’s funny, I’m not angry or sad at what happened. I met some amazing people along the road to recovery, and I learned who is truly there for you.

My pastor once said, “God doesn’t waste our pain.” This is so true.