Call to Adventure

Before the accident, I was a happy 4 year old girl who didn’t know that in a split second it could
all change, but it did on July 3, 2010. A trip was planned to go to Bear Lake with most of my
family for a few days over the 4th of July weekend. I wasn’t too happy about going because my
mom wasn’t going with us. My life before the accident was a happy one. I was diagnosed with
mild CP (Cerebral Palsy) at the age of two. I went to several dr. and physical therapy
appointments each week, to help me walk, but other than that I had a great childhood. I played
with cousins, had sleepovers at my grandparents house, went swimming in the summer,
learned how to ride a scooter, played soccer, played in the snow and made snowmen, and
enjoyed preschool. Since I have CP, I wore leg braces and special shoes to help me with my
balance when I walked. By the age of four I was well aware of the social expectations around
me. I needed to be careful to avoid uneven ground and always be aware of my surroundings.
These expectations were rules that I followed so I wouldn’t get hurt. On that fateful morning,
little did I know and my grandparents didn’t realize that right where I was “helping” my grandpa
unload water off the trailer, that my cousin would push the gas on the ATV and run me over!
Initiation
My grandpa and grandma, who took me to Bear Lake were taking care of me because my mom
couldn’t go. When I got run over by the ATV, there was no going back to what my life used to
be. Getting run over was the first test of my short life so far. I don’t remember much, because I
was in shock. I remember the ATV coming towards me in slow motion, it was like a movie. I
remember everyone screaming. My grandpa told me the following: the front wheels ran over my
legs and chest. When it came to a stop I was between the front wheels and back wheels. No
one is sure how I got out from underneath the ATV. Everyone was in shock, but my
grandparents got me into the truck and drove me to a clinic/hospital in Garden City. The next
thing I remember is being in a hospital room with a lot of doctors around me. The hospital did
not have the equipment needed to determine if I had internal bleeding, but the x-ray of my right
leg showed that it was broken. So they life flighted me to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt
Lake City. I’m thankful for my grandpa and the paramedics because they possibly saved my life.
The reason this accident happened is because my Uncle, who should have known better, left
the ATV on and in reverse when he got off. My cousin was an impatient little brat and wanted to
ride the ATV, but her dad said “no” but she got on it anyway and hit the gas.
Transformation
There was no way to prepare for this test because who plans on going on a vacation to get run
over by an ATV. My ordeal continued while I was in the helicopter. I was given shots, for what I
don’t know, but I do remember getting shots. When we landed at PCMC I was taken to the
emergency room and more tests were performed. I didn’t have any internal bleeding or injuries,
but my femur in my leg was broken. I was taken into surgery. While in surgery the doctor
decided not to repair my leg surgically, but to pull my femur together where it broke, twist the leg
a litte, and cast my leg. With this kind of break and being so young they put me in a full body
cast, from my chest down to my ankle on my right leg and to my knee on the left leg. I would be
in the body cast for the entire summer. I could not sit up straight, I could not walk. I was either
in a recliner or if I went somewhere in a reclining wheelchair or being carried. My summer was
ruined! After seven weeks, the doctor removed the cast with a saw! It was so frightening! I
hadn’t used my legs for 7 weeks. I went to physical therapy sessions so I could strengthen the
muscles in both legs and learn how to walk again.
If I received a benefit out of this accident it would be that because of the full cast on my right leg
it was healed. I got a lot of attention and gifts from my family.
Return
My road back to the normal world was hard and took a lot of time. I got put in a full body cast, I
did physical therapy for years and had to relearn how to walk. I regret going to Bear Lake that
day. I had to give up my freedom for an entire summer and my ability to walk. After everything
I’ve been through, these are the things I want to do before I die: become a service dog trainer,
travel to England and Canada, graduate high school, go hiking more often and be more
outgoing, honestly just enjoy the time I have on this earth. This event has changed my life
because it has shown me that I am strong and can always pull through, it has shown me not to
take life for granted and that life is meaningful.