Here is another story from my friend Charmell Petroff Owens about how her life was changed because of a seat belt.
In February of 2011, I was traveling down Highway 93 out of Hamilton, MT when I stopped on the highway to make a left turn. I had my blinker on and as I made the turn left at approximately 1 mile per hour, an inattentive driver from behind me came around the corner, tried to pass me and T-boned me at 70 mph.
In all rights and accounts, with an impact such as this, I should not have made it, but I did by the Grace of God.
In my line of work as a Prevention Specialist, we don’t call these “accidents” we call them “crashes. All of these crashes, whether it’s a fender bender or a high impact crash such as the one that changed my life could have been prevented.
In my crash, the single factor that saved my life was my seatbelt. Had I not had it on, the crash would surely have snapped my neck, sending me to my death. Instead, it held me into my car while I was pushed by the other driver’s vehicle in the oncoming lane of traffic for several hundred feet.
I am telling my story because I want people to know that even if you survive a crash at this impact wearing your seatbelt, there will be days that will be tough. However, they are far better than the realization as you stand in heaven that one seatbelt would have saved the day.
At 10 weeks after the crash that changed my life, this was my blog on facebook:
I was asked by a friend to write a little update about my car crash~so here it goes~
It's been 10 weeks since I was hit by a driver going 70 mph while I was going 1 mph (maybe)~My jaw is healing very nicely and other than a slip here or there I am able to eat mostly right sided to avoid hurting it any further.
My rotator cuff is coming along nicely, although I have limited grip and twisting ability with my left hand but my right hand is getting really strong accommodating for the left.
I still have headaches almost everyday, the ear ringing is about 50% less and the brain freezes as I call them from my TBI, happen about once a day versus continually throughout the day, so the brain is mending from the 22 staples in my head and the nerve severing. They have to put my neck in traction a couple times a week to keep the headaches at bay and keep my lower spine aligned in order to avoid my right sided pain in my lower back. This is also about 50% better than two or three weeks ago thanks to a wonderful team of doctors.
Time is a great advantage in a car accident because each week you see a slight improvement, maybe you go 12 hours without a headache, etc. Since there have been other diversions in my life over the past several weeks, I find myself thinking less about my accident and more about coping, gaining strength and getting myself to a place where anger is more of distant cursor than an everyday part of my life. I have walked a few journeys with a few friends too along the way and their pain and know in my heart that without special people in my life I wouldn't be this far either. The biggest frustration will now be getting them to pay my bills. Which they seem a little less anxious to do~But that's a whole other chapter. Thanks to everyone for their blessings, prayers etc. I am grateful everyday for the love of family and friends who have seen me through these past ten weeks~Oh and on a brighter note, tomorrow will be my first week back to FULL TIME WORK. My doctor gave me clearance on Friday.
So, I look back at my post now and despite continually painful days since my car crash and the reality that I will live in pain every day for the rest of my life, two years ago I was able to see the birth of both of my grandson’s, watch my son become a lawyer, watch my daughter’s eyes light up as they see their son’s enter a room and talk to other families and their children about buckling up. I am thankful God made me put on my seatbelt that day. You will be thankful wearing yours as well. They say in our lifetime, 1 out 3 people will be affected by a crash that ends the life of someone we know or gives them an incapacitating injury. That’s 1 too many.
