The reason I wanted this site was to share my story with everyone.The terrible night
in 1998.It changed
my life forever in more ways than one.My daughter and I was headed home about 9:30
pm that night.We
had been shopping that day with my mom and sisters
and then went out and had dinner with my mom.I wish I had listened to my mom that
night.She kept
wanting us to spend the night with her that night.I told her no that we had better
go on home since I had to work the next day.We were headed home and as we topped a hill I saw bright lights headed right at
us.I remember screaming and praying.Then there were all of these horrible sounds and smells,glass
shattering and metal being smashed.I will never ever
forget the sounds and the smells.It seemed like the
car would never stop moving.Finally we came to a halt,I screamed for my daughter to
see if she was ok. All I got from here was Oh God mom I hurt all over.Then no sound at all from her.I tried to move
but couldn't.I wanted out to check on my daughter.
I remember screaming at the top of my lungs.A guy
that was behind me and saw the whole thing,came up to the car and ripped the door
opened and knelt down and asked me if I was ok? I was so upset and all I could say was my daughter.He had not seen her
when she got out of the car.Come to find out,she had
climbed out the window to go get help.Bless that guy's heart,he stayed right there
with me and held my hand til the paramedics got there.There were
alot of kind,wonderful people that night.It still hurts
so bad to talk about that night.I still have nightmares
and flashbacks of the wreck.I wake up alot of nights
screaming and alot of times if I am driving I have panic attacks and have to stop
along side the road and call someone to come get me.The drunk driver
blamed me for the wreck,of course.But the witnesses
knew it was his fault.He had no drivers license,no
insurance and he was well over the BAC limit.It was
his way more than his first DUI.I was working three
jobs at that time but afterwards I was no longer able to hold down a full time job
and could not work too
much part time.Now I am no longer working at all.His
stupidity caused me so much pain and changed me forever.I hurt so bad everyday of
my life.I have already gone through two surgeries and they are
talking another surgery.It was a year after the crash
before I walked again.I was so miserable and suicidal
during that time.I honestly believe if it had not been
for MADD I would have taken my life.I was laying
there one day and so depressed and I looked at my
bottles of pain killers and picked up the bottles then
I set them back down and picked up the phone book
and looked up MADD.I called and got the most wonderful advocate on the line.He was
my very own
guardian angel.We talked for 4 hours that day on the
phone and everytime I got down and out I swear he had ESP,cause the phone would ring
and it would be
Matt.He would say he felt like I needed him and he
would be right cause I did.The paramedics and state
highway patrol said they did not see how we survived
the crash.I say the Good Lord was in there with us,He had a purpose.I just hope I
can prove myself
worthy.
Drunk drivers do not realize the dangers of drinking
and driving.They do not think of all the innocent lives
and people that they are endangering.I think the laws should be a lot stricter on
drunk drivers.The drunk that hit us only spent a month in jail.All he got
was a slap on the wrist.
SO please think before you get behind that wheel if
you have been drinking.Don't destroy some innocent
families life.
