Megann's Story - The RAW version.

On February 22nd, 2013, I was stopped by Turlock Police Officer, Joseph Dusel. I was unaware why he was making the stop and made the assumption that it was for my car registration. I had just recently purchased the vehicle and was going to get the car smog checked. When he asked the question "Do you know why I pulled you over today?" That was my answer... "My registration?". He said, "You weren't wearing your seat belt." I was terrible about wearing my seat belt. I will be the first to admit that I never wore it, it wasn't my first thought when I got in the car. So, he wrote me the citation for the seat belt, and I believe there was a lack of proof of insurance or registration. After the stop and we were both on our ways, I was MAD. Like MAD. Called the friends that I was going to meet up with after the smog check, my mom who just told me “Well, should have worn your seat belt," and my dad "you should know better". In the next couple days, I wore my seat belt mainly out of spite. I was a waitress, and a college student I did not need any extra expenses in my life. The fifth day, I was in a rush. But still managed to get that seat belt on when I left the house.

Around 6:30am on February 27th, I was doing everything right. I was wearing the seat belt, I was paying attention to traffic, I was going to the speed limit, I did EVERYTHING right. A Toyota Prius pulled into oncoming traffic and altered my entire life in a second. I remember it all. When remembering and talking about it, that's what gets me the most. I can still hear the sounds and feel the impact. I remember hearing the immediate squealing of the tires, the crumpling of the metal, the scratching of vehicles. I remember clenching the steering wheel as hard as I could, squeezing my eyes so tight almost like a defense mechanism. And for a brief second, nothing. No sound, No impact, Nothing. Just weightless. I took a breath in that moment and opened my eyes. And within the same second, I struck the ground again, and then back in the air. This time I did not open my eyes I just held on and prayed. Finally, I landed and on all four tires.

In the immediate moments after the accident had ended, I had extreme pain. All coming from my lower back. I unbuckled my seat belt and attempted to lower myself in the seat to try and relieve the pressure. I looked around the car. There were car seats in the back. A binky lodged in the window frame. And debris everywhere. I was in too much shock to cry, I think. I was attempting to move and get out. My driver window was busted, and I remember a man coming to my window. He was in a red flannel jacket, a ball cap with longer hair coming out of the bottom and jeans. He grabbed my arm and said, "don't move". So, I didn't. Apparently, there were no witnesses matching that description. But thank you, sir. I remember seeing a man in a white tee shirt and gym shorts directing traffic. The man that hit me came running to my driver door "I'M SO SORRY, ITS MY FAULT, I'M SO SORRY!". He asked me who I could call and the only number I could remember was my friend Katie's phone number. Thank God she did not answer. I was in shock, and she would have been in too and attempting to drive to me. I remember recognizing a man in the distance, he was near the railroad tracks. I called him by name "MIKE! MIKE!" He came running over. He reassured me that help was on the way and that I was going to be okay. "Mike, I need you to call my mom" "Okay sweetheart, what's your moms name?" "Monika Heilman" His face went white and immediately called. From what my mother had told me, when she answered he had said "Monika, your baby's been in a bad accident". I watched as he held his head and was just pacing back and forth. He will never understand the impact he had on that day, just by being the first familiar face I saw. I then heard all the sirens, and I felt immediate relief. I knew I had help on the way. I knew I was about to see more familiar faces. My dad was a Hughson Volunteer Fireman for many years, and I was bound to know someone on the engine. The initial Fireman that came to my window, I did not recognize. I remember asking "Is Tony on the truck?" He said yes. "GO GET TONY!"  were the next words out of my mouth. I am so sorry Wattle; it wasn't that I didn't trust you... I just needed Tony. Tony came and I told him "I can't feel my legs". Tony asked a few more questions and my legs started to tingle. At least there was some feeling. All the necessary steps were taken, I was placed in a C Collar and very carefully extracted from the vehicle. I remember my boyfriend arriving and grabbing my bare feet on the gurney. My parents arrived just as I was being loaded into the ambulance. They were cutting off all my clothes, they started with my brand-new jeans, along with my underwear, and my brand new sweatshirt. As they approached my bra, I very... passionately... told them "DO NOT CUT OFF MY BRAND-NEW BRA". They administered pain medication directly after that request. My parents were discussing what hospital I needed to go to. I had Kaiser Insurance at the time and needed to go there. Kaiser is not a trauma center, and I was a Level I. So off to Doctors Hospital I went. This is where my memory gets blurry. 

I remember briefly waking up from time to time on the way to the hospital and in the emergency room. My Aunt Shell, My Uncle Ted, a CHP officer and an MPD Officer who worked with my dad, are some of the people I can recall being there along with my parents. When I saw my boyfriend for the first time at the hospital, he came walking rubbing hand sanitizer on his hands "I'm The Boyfriend." The CHP was there for questioning and I was not lucid enough to give any kind of statement. I feel bad for leaving anyone out that came and saw me during this time but trust me in meant the world to my family and me.

The injury was a L3 Burst Fracture. I was nearly severed and paralyzed from the waist down. There were bone fragments centimeters away from my spinal cord, and if first responders did ANYTHING different the outcome would have been tragic. I had two surgeries and stayed a total of 5 days. My first surgery, I can remember trying to sucker punch the anesthesiologist when they were removing my tube. I apologize for that. The second, I was just simply scared. In recovery for a day and they wanted me up to walk. I stood up, looked at my mom and just remembered sobbing. I was in pain, nauseous, and tired. So much pain. I was given this fancy little button that made the pain go away. Another apology goes out to the male nurse who I yelled and screamed at accusing him of "Turning off my BUTTON!". At one point he just chose to agree with me and said, "Okay I turned off your button..." and proceeded to push the button and then say "Goodnight". I deserved that. Unfortunately for woman other things don't stop just because of a trauma, thankful to have friends with no boundaries to help me along that path. Katie, Nicole, and My sister took those unspeakable tasks with a grain of salt and did whatever I needed them to do. Another attempt to get me up and walking in a brace was on the schedule again. The person fitting the brace came in and put it on under my gown. I knew I had a waiting room full of people waiting for me to see my first steps. I looked atrocious. And started to cry again. I know how silly that sounds. But at 21, being that vulnerable and raw with my loved ones was heavy. We decided to place the brace over my gown. And away I went. Re-learning to walk without any core strength and a whole new addition to your body is no joke. Thankfully I was young, healthy, and ready to take on the challenge. I rounded my first corner, and there they were. Applauding, crying, cheering, and crying some more. My mom and dad are by my side. My grandparents, My sister and little brother, My Brother-in-Law and his mom and dad, my boyfriend and his mom and dad, Friends and family. It was a sight to see... and just what I needed to make was the lap around the floor.

It was time to go home. That meant a car ride. I was TERRIFIED to say the least. Thankful for the nurses that knew this would be tough and recommended that I take my prescriptions before heading home. I made it home to a welcome party with my aunts and uncles, grandparents, and friends. I NEEDED a shower and bed. Nicole, Katie,Kaitlyn, Tahnaia and Sarah thank you so much for sitting me in my chair in the shower and doing yet another unspeakable task. Along with my shower, I was also starving my Aunt Meridith asked me what I wanted. She would have gone to the end of the earth for my food, but all I wanted was In-N-Out. So that's what she brought me. I don't even think I tasted it. Just inhaled it instead.

In the coming weeks, there were flowers and dinners and cards that just overpowered our kitchen table. All the kind words and love that was sent our way was amazing. I grew into my new way of life. My boyfriend, Jared, and I along with my parents walked a lot. Growing the length each day. It seemed to get easier and easier every day. This was until I had to begin my physical therapy, which made me feel like a failure all over again. Day after day, I would attempt the tasks that they gave me as "homework". It just felt useless, I wasn't getting any better. Until the physical therapist simply said, "If you don't try, you don't succeed". I wanted out of this brace; I wanted my life back. So, I pushed daily. And on my 22nd birthday, I was braced free, and on my way to my new normal. My new normal consisted of numbness and tingling, a beautiful scar that took over my belly and back and lots of tears. I overcame every boundary that was placed in front of me. My greatest achievement was my two miracle children, that the doctors told me I would never have. 

I could go on to tell you all the aftermath that would then be my new normal. But the purpose of this organization is to bring awareness, create a place for assistance and save lives. In hopes that someone reading this will buckle their seatbelt, find empathy for those that suffer tragedies and help one another. Your entire life can be changed in a single second. You can do EVERYTHING right, and someone else can flip your life upside down (quite literally). Be the on the right side of the statistics and wear your seatbelt. The hell I went through from my accident and injuries is nothing compared to the hell my family would have gone through in losing me.