Motor Vehicle Accident Survivor
On May 31, 1999, I was involved in a single car MVA nearly 2 miles from my home in Sussex County, Delaware. I was first transported via Medivac to PRMC in Salisbury, Maryland. I was later told by a first responder that I quit breathing a few times on the ride to Salisbury and the odds he gave me of survival upon arriving at the scene were 1 in 5. I had a fractured pelvis, internal bleeding, shattered right foot with compound fractures, fractured right fibula, fractured left humerus, fractured left scapula, and a collapsed left lung. I received multiple facial lacerations but thankfully no TBI. As I was operated on all throughout the night, my family was left with no certainty that I would survive. As the hours wore on, the better I responded. The doctors in Salisbury then decided to Medivac me to Shock Trauma in Baltimore. I spent about 4 days in Shock Trauma with numerous surgeries. The entire memory is a blur. I have no recollection of the accident or any of my stay at PRMC. I have a vague memory of the Medivac ride to Shock Trauma. I have a few memories of Shock Trauma, notably the pain and the frustration of not knowing if it was A.M. or P.M. when I was coherent (thanks to an analog clock on the wall). From Shock Trauma, I was transported to Kernan Rehabilitation hospital for 2 weeks for physical and occupational therapy. When I got home towards the end of June, I spent the nearly the entire summer in a hospital bed in my family’s home. The hard work was about to begin.
Prior to the accident, I played college football at Towson University. I was told by my orthopedic doctor at Shock Trauma, that me being an athlete had contributed to my survival. Football, literally saved my life.
I started therapy at HealthSouth in August. I progressed from a wheelchair to crutches, to one crutch, and to a cane. Then, against my parents wishes, I decided to go back for the fall semester to Towson instead of taking a semester off. My therapy sessions then moved to the HealthSouth at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Wow, what a change that was. My therapy up to that point had been relatively easy. This place was different. I can’t remember the therapist’s name, but she pushed me probably harder than any football coach ever had. I would spend 1.5 hours a day after classes there, and I would leave drenched in sweat. I cussed her at the time, but her demands and direction were only for my benefit.
Needless to say, I missed the entire 1999 football season. I didn’t even attend any practices. I was mostly in therapy anyway, but I didn’t even desire to be around the sport. I knew my days were numbered athletically. I knew I would never be the athlete I once was, and I knew I would never be able to compete at the same level I had before the accident. The program was very good to me. From the coaches visiting me in the hospital to the support of the players, I was very grateful. I returned to spring practice in 2000 with limited participation. Ultimately, I ended up coaching with the program.
The older I get, the sillier this sounds, but football was a part of me since I was 9 years old. I participated in organized football up to the collegiate level for 10 consecutive seasons and then, it was for the most part over. I know now that there is a lot more to life than sports, but at the time it was my central focus. My accident helped me to see the big picture, and I am thankful for that. I filled my void with academics. I graduated with two degrees and a 4.0 GPA.
I’m 34 now and my accident was over 15 years ago, but there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about it. What if I had done this or that differently, where would I be? But, like my scars and internal hardware, it is a part of me now, it is who I am. And I am a survivor.
