A girl who had suffered a broken neck has beaten the odds and is now walking again with the aid of Lofstrand crutches. She is very grateful to be alive.
Hi! My name is Erinn Patricia McDonnell, and I am 17 years old.
I also happen to be a Living, Talking, Walking Miracle. For if you saw me just one year ago, you wouldn't think that such a thing could be possible; but I am here to share my story.
I was riding my horse, "Thunder", when he got spooked for some reason or another, and as a result, he bucked, and as he did, he threw me; and I landed hard on the hard ground. When I landed, I felt something go "Poing" in the base of my neck; and then my body instantaneously lost all feeling; and I immediately knew that something was horribly wrong with me. When I got my breath back, I desperately tried to call for my mother, my father, or anyone who could possibly help me.
Well, it turned out that my father was out, working in the yard, when he heard my weakened cries for help. He came running towards me when he saw me lying helplessly on the ground; and all I could tell him at that time was this: "Call for an ambulance. Something's wrong!" By this time, I was crying; I was wondering what was going on, and I was scared to death!
The ambulance came shortly after my father had called; soon, paramedics were bending over me, asking me questions, feeling my body (although I couldn't feel them touching me below the shoulders), and checking my vital signs. I was in tears, and they kept speaking to me in calm, reassuring tones, assuring me that I was to be okay, and that they would take good care of me. Soon, I was placed in the back of the ambulance, and I was then rushed to a nearby hospital.
I don't remember really what happened upon going into the emergency room, but when I woke up later, I found myself in a bed, a blanket over me, and when I went to move my head, something bit at the sides of my head, just above my ears, and I could hear beeping and buzzing noises surrounding me. I found out later that I was in the Intensive Care unit of the pediatric ward of the hospital, and that I had steel cervical tongs in my head, to hold my neck steady. I found out later from my primary doctor that I had suffered a broken neck, which probably explained for the diminished feeling below my shoulders. It felt as though my head was unattached from my body, and it scared the living hell out of me. He said at the present time that I was paralyzed, but I was very lucky to be alive.
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I was in the hospital for two months, recovering from my injuries. I also was coming to terms that my life would no longer be the same. I would have to learn to depend on a wheelchair and learn to depend on others to help me with my basic needs. But once I got over the initial shock, I was bound and determined to overcome the worst effects of my spinal-cord injury, and I was determined to learn to move my damaged body again. So I worked very hard at my therapies; and it was a joyous day indeed when I learned how to move my arms and later learned how to feed myself and propel my wheelchair.
Still, that wasn't good enough. I wanted to walk again; and I worked harder than I had ever done so in my entire life. I was in the rehab hospital for another four months; and when I finally was released from the hospital, I settled in my home, and I settled into getting my life back in some semblance of order. Oh, sure, I had bad days where I lamented my state of affairs, and there WERE days where I was ugly towards my therapists, friends, and family members, but more often than not, I wanted nothing more than to learn to walk again, and I worked towards achieving that goal, no matter how long it may have taken me.
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It is now over a year and a half since this accident happened to me, and I am now walking at long last, even when my doctors said that I would never walk again. I may be walking with the aid of long, heavy steel braces on my legs and also a pair of purple Lofstrand crutches (crutches that come up to the elbows instead of to the armpits, like standard crutches); but I am still WALKING; and I am getting stronger every day. I am learning new ways to use my body, and even though I can't really move my fingers all that much, I can move my hands somewhat, and I can move my shoulders to where I can use my arms and do things like feeding myself, brushing my hair or teeth, and walking with my crutches. I also can stand up (with help), and I am becoming more independent each passing day. I also have since started going to church, and I have accepted Jesus Christ into my life; and I am learning and growing in my Christian walk. It has given me a whole new perspective on my life and what has happened, and I have learned that even though I am now disabled (and possibly for the rest of my life), I still have it so much better than a lot of people do, and God has done some awesome things in my life, even when others have seemed to given up on me.
Miracles do happen eh? Thank you for sharing this offering, Karen. Love and peace (amour et paix, amor y paz) (ton ami, tu amigo, your friend) from B.C., Canada.
Regis
Reviewed by Judy Lloyd
1/7/2005
Thanks for this story because this almost happened to me and I always enjoy your stories.
a great write as always, how do you keep them all straight
God Bless
Michelle!
P.S I will send out the mouse Monday, you can also purchase a new one for a few dollars, I would have sent a surge strip but afraid the only one's I have are the one's I am using...
an exceptionally well written story; it must have been an incomplete fracture (where the spinal cord is bruised, but not severed), but of course, it could also be a Miracle...for the Lord Jesus is indeed, the Ultimate Physician. :) BRAVA!
Note: Since my husband's cancer surgery 4/25/05, this book content has been integrated into the public speaking content for audiences interested in a sassy approach to personal and/or community awareness events. Another chapbook on intimate love poet
Hi! My name is Erinn Patricia McDonnell, and I am 17 years old.
