It was around 11 pm and I was already asleep in bed when I received a terrifying call, “I am calling to let you know that Angela has been in an accident. The firemen and ambulance are there now. I don’t know any details.” My daughter was 18 years old at the time and had gone out with friends for the evening. My heart sank and fear took over my body and mind. Since most of my hospital nursing career was spent in the ICU and ER the worst case scenarios immediately popped into my head. I felt helpless because I did not know where Angela was or what was happening. My husband and I started to think of how we could get more information and then a couple minutes later (but it felt like hours) finally a call from the paramedic. My first two questions – “Is she breathing on her own and can she move all her extremities?” The answer was yes and I could hear her voice in the background. THANK GOD for that. My husband and I breathed a sigh of relief. My biggest fears had just been alleviated.
We dressed and went to the ER. Her friends told us they had been hiking up in the hills and came across a rope swing over a dry creek bed. They were swinging back and forth and Angela had lost her grip. The momentum had slammed her into the side of the dry creek and she rolled down into the bed. When we were finally allowed to see her we discovered that not only did she have multiple fractures of the right arm but she had broken her neck – the FIRST CERVICAL VERTEBRA!! “How can that be?” I asked with disbelief and Relief all at the same time. It was in that moment that I realized my daughter could have died from this accident or have been paralyzed the rest of her life I felt a DEEP sense of gratitude. I also knew we were not out of the woods yet and her recovery would take some time. To be continued….