EElizabeth’s
English Blog #16
By
Elizabeth Crotts
The Day that Changed His Life
The day that changed his
life was on March 20, 2013. My Father and my youngest sibling were in a head-on collision around nine in the morning. My dad
was 36 years old, but my sibling was only 18 months old. They were hit by a
71-year-old man who just had a heart attack behind the wheel. After the impact,
my father’s first concern was his infant in the back seat of the vehicle. My
dad remained conscious and called his wife (my mom) and his parents (my
grandparents), who lived locally. The
first responders took the victims to the closest hospital where they all received
medical care.
This accident resulted in my dad staying a week and a half in the hospital with multiple
injuries including a shattered hip, partially broken femur, broken hand, 10
fractured ribs, fractured sternum, sliced spleen, bruised lung, nerve damage in
his right leg and a few other wounds. These wounds also led to a week and a
half in rehab and physical therapy for 3 months. He was told by doctors that he
might not be able to walk again, be wheelchair bound and handicapped for the rest
of his life. Those odds fueled his determination and stubborn will to prove
them wrong. My younger sibling had no major problems from the accident, except
bruising from impact and light trajectories, which healed after several weeks. The
aftermath of this traumatic incident has been lifelong hip pain and irritation
daily from extended exercise for my father. The other man was not as fortunate and passed
away later that day in the hospital.
My
entire family was supported by our community through cards, prayers, visits,
meals, and financial aid. One of my
dad’s favorite gifts was a teddy bear wrapped in gauze, band-aids, and a baby
blue robe. My older sibling and I supported and cared for him before and after
school. His church family provided many meals for us and even more prayers. He
also had monthly lunches with his friend, Jack. Though my father’s life will
never be the same as it was, his appreciation for life and everything in it
has greatly impacted his perspective on valuables in life. Every pain and
hardship are worth the life he is living now and he will not change it for the
world.
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