Second Chance

Imagine entering a pathway that is surrounded by trees. You come face to face to a creek filled with large rocks and a slight flow of water. Immediately after the rock pathway you are forced to climb this enormous hill if you want to get to the rest of the trails. The hill has been climbed countless of times by many off road drivers. But to a five year old the hill is a nightmare waiting to happen; that nightmare happened 2001.

Uncle Lee sat on the green four wheeler and scooped up the two eager children. “Let's go for a ride,” he said. Dominic, my step cousin was in the back, Uncle Lee was in the middle, and I was up front in between my uncle and the handlebars.

We drove up and down the gravel road a couple of times before entering the wooden trail. Once we got to the entrance to the trail, my uncle promised me that he would go slow and be careful. I could hear Dominic shouting over the roaring engine “Lets do it!”

As soon as our front tires hit the first big slippery rock in the creek, we began to tip over. My uncle scooped his hand behind his back to toss Dominic off the four wheeler. He landed safely in the mud nearby. However, there was not enough time to throw me over overboard.. Dominic walked away with only a scratch on his elbow. My uncle and I were not as lucky. We were pinned in between the four wheeler and the rocks. 911 was called. The first responders reported that there was so much blood in the creek that they couldn't tell who or where it was coming from. A helicopter airlifted me to children's hospital, while my uncle was transported to a different hospital.

I had a broken nose, my right ear was almost completely ripped off, I had two black eyes, couldn't breathe on my own, and I struggled with mental issues. I was connected to every monitor possible. My recovery was slow. The doctors and nurses told my mom that I might not be the same after this and I might not remember much. The odds were stacked up against be, but I kept pushing. My mom, dad, and grandma used to take me for walks around the hospital halls. Some days were good and some days were bad. On one of my bad days my mom took me to the rooftop for some sunshine, but looking back at this experience today I feel like my mom took me to the rooftop to jump. Thankfully, she didn't!

Thankfully, my good days came more often and I was released from the hospital. I don't remember the accident itself or my time in the hospital. Or much of my childhood for that matter. I only know what I know from stories I have been told. I also don't have a relationship with my mom anymore; she doesn't treat me like her daughter. I am just someone she knows. But, I am thankful to be alive! It has been 18 years since my four wheeler accident and I still don't ride four wheelers and I refuse to go off roading up that hill ever again! I should have not survived due to the amount of blood I lost and the trauma, but here I am; my guardian angel was with me the entire time. I am thankful to have survived my near death experience.