Haley, you are more than welcome on my DWI Blog, feel free to drop in, leave comments and enlighten my readers.

- Good Day

Im 38 year old single mother of two teens ages 13 and 15.
On Jan. 25, my daughters, my younger brother and I were coming home from visiting my sister. Before we reached home, I was Tboned in the drivers side ( i was driving) by a drunk driver in broad daylight. He ran the stop sign going about 60mph.
I never saw it coming. I was happy, I was at the happiest point of my life, and 3 weeks later i learned just how my world changed.

I was driving and upon impact i was pushed all the way into the passenger seat. My vehicle flipped twice. I was told I was already knocked out upon impact, I had on my seat belt, but the roof of my vehicle was pretty much molded around my head.
I sustained several injuries from this and till this day Im still recovering.

My back was broken in 4 different places,my pelvis was broken in 3 different places, my left hip was fractured, 3 broken ribs, my spleen was severly lacerated and had to be removed, lacerated liver which is fine now, surgery to repair punctured lung, surgery for my back and pelvis, and I had a tramautic brain injury. I was put in a medically induced coma, and was comatose for almost a week. today I am only walking with little baby steps and the aide of crutches. I had to learn to do many things over again. My life was changed drastically. I was hospitalized almost a month and upon returning home, my brothers and sister had to help raise my daughters, take care of me,, and run my business. The broken bones I could deal with, it was the changes in my behavior from the brain injury that effected me the most. Although i have no memory of the accident at all, i have no memory problems from the brain injury, however i had to learn simple things over again, My mind constantly was racing, too many thoughts swimming in my head, and it still does that even with medication. I became angry, I became biter, and depressed and needed psychological help in dealing with the injuries to the brain. I am happy to say that I am overcoming the emotional impact of the brain injury, but there are times i still suffer. I am recovering still, i am still in pain, but I can do for myself now, but my mobility is limited. Im in a back brace till july, but im expected to make a full recovery.

Doctors, police and paramedics say im a miracle, i should have died that day. Matter of fact the doctors told my family they didnt expect me to pull through that first night. My oldest daughter, suffered from broken ribs, and brusing to her internal organs, my brothers arm was broken in 2 places and my youngest daughter only had some bruises and cuts, yet its my youngest daughter who suffers from the nightmares still.

It has been a very long road, I continue to try and remain positive through it all and knowing i will recover 100 percent helps staying positive, but I do get discouraged easily at times.

You may thing drinking and driving may not hurt you, or you may not even give a damn about the risk you are putting yourself into, but for Godsakes think about what you could do to others. My life was almost taken from me, my kids were almost faced with the fact of not having a mother….I was enjoying life, I was happy, and one person took that from me, one person who decided that he was not too drunk to drive!

As far as the drunk driver…he has been seen in bars still drinking not a care in the world, he is walking, laughing and having the time of his life, while i still struggle daily! The laws need to be tougher on this matter!
Thank you for letting me voice this on your blog!
Haley