From the Author: Tansy Lederhaus
I was involved in a bad car crash at the age of 17, that took the life of my best friend and left me with less than a 1% chance of survival.
I was airlifted to a level II trauma center and had emergency surgery in an attempt to stop the hemorrhaging from my liver and spleen. I received 60 units of blood during the first day following a splenectomy and repeated attempts to stop the bleeding from my liver.
I was placed in a medically induced coma for 9 days and recall vivid dreams of an altered reality. During the first week in the hospital I received well over 100 units of blood and blood products. I had a tracheostomy for weeks and was on dialysis. I eventually had my bilateral femur fractures fixed with intramedullary nails and a transmetatarsal amputation of my right foot due to complications.
I had to relearn how to do everything. Swallow, talk, eat, walk. I went home after 43 days in the hospital.
I’ve since made a full recovery, became a registered nurse, married my high school sweetheart and had children. I’ve made it my goal to give back what I received and donate 100 units of blood. I donate regularly and advocate and encourage others to donate as well.
Two decades later, I later decided to write a memoir about my experience. It’s called “43 days.” and is a detailed account of what happened during those emotional, unknown and intense days in the hospital. It’s my story of survival, strength and resilience.
I wrote 43 Days because I survived something that I never thought I would, and I didn’t want the story of what happened, or the people who helped save my life, to be forgotten. My dad’s journal documented each of the 43 days I spent in the hospital after my crash at 17, and years later, I realized those words deserved to become more than a family keepsake. I wrote this book to honor the people who saved me, remember the friend I lost, and remind others that even when the odds seem impossible, there can still be a way forward.
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