Paralyzed Woman Coaches Cheerleading & Lacrosse
On July 12, 2007, I decided to learn how to ride a motorcycle. My fiance at the time, Josh, told me where everything was on the bike, and in his parents' backyard I took off alone. This was my very first time on a bike as a driver and I did not know what to expect. I dumped the clutch and kept accelerating. I immediately blacked out and remember little.
Turns out, I landed in a ravine about 20 yards away from my starting point - a tree broke my fall and instantly paralyzed me. Metro Life Flight was called to land directly in the back yard, as a drive to the hospital likely would have killed me. The doctors did not think I would make it overnight, but I lasted 32 days in the ICU at Akron General Hospital, the closest hospital.
I suffered from a severed spinal cord, broken ribs, clavical, and scapula, a lacerated liver, and collapsed lungs. After Akron General, I headed to MetroHealth via ambulance, and started my rehabilitation on 7A. I soon learned that it would take at least six weeks before I knew enough to go home.
MetroHealth taught me how to care for myself, including getting dressed and transferring, and taught me how to get my "new self" around, along with building my strength to do everything. My therapists worked hard with me and pushed me to the limit they knew I could do. They would not let me give up too quickly, and made sure I could do the things that I needed to do.
Dr. Melvin Mejia, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, was wonderful. He came in daily checking on me, both physically and emotionally, and proved to be a very caring doctor. I wouldn't change my stay at MetroHealth for anything. They truly have prepared me to be as independent as possible.
Two months after leaving rehab, I started working at a school as a small group instructor in math, and remain at that position today. Six months after leaving rehab, Josh and I got married. Turns out, God wanted us to have a wedding in a blizzard, because that is what happened. On our wedding day I woke up to a level four, "emergency only travel." Even though the emergency level did go away, only about half of our guests could attend.
Right after our wedding, we coached elementary lacrosse together, and ended up in a perfect, undefeated season - the first time in the Wooster Lacrosse Club history. While the wedding was beautiful, the marriage lasted only a year. I have been living on my own for about three months now and am doing everything on my own.
Since then, I coached cheerleading for our middle school and a season of Middle School lacrosse. I have also been going to school to finish my Master's Degree in Special Education. If MetroHealth hadn't prepared me like they did, I would not be doing the things that I love doing today. Thank you so very much!
Submitted by:
Megan Hammond
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