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Snow, Sleding and Trees
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I would like to share this with all of you. With all the snow all or most of us have please be extra careful when sleding and when you do stay away from all trees. On the 13th of January 2011 my great niece was sleding with her friend on a tube sled in a park with lots of other children. Someone how they lost control and the other girl fell off and my niece ended up hitting a tree. Taylor yell at my nephew her father that she could not fill her legs. Taylor was taken to Kansas City to a children's Hosp. On Friday night the 14th at about 5:20 P.M. they did surgery on her back were two very long rods and lots of screws were put into her back she got out at about 9:30 P.M. Taylor is still in the hosp and the 29th of January was her 14th Birthday were she came to her party in the hosp in her wheel chair as they are sure she will never walk again. The doctor's say it was like a car going 50 miles hour and being throw out of the car that was how she hit the tree. Story short PLEASE watch the trees and children and have fun in the snow.
Rita Jean
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Rita Jean, I am so sorry that your great niece has been injured so badly at such a young age. My husband became a quadriplegic 6 years ago while training for a triathlon. A car hit him while he was on his bicycle. Darrel is now a peer mentor for physically disabled people. He tells me his heart hurts when he first meets youth who have been injured. He says that when he was injured at the age of 50, he at least had the chance to experience much of his life as a fully able bodied person.
What I can tell you is that life does not end with such an event. In fact, as time passes, you will be able to see how resilient your niece is. With new equipment and good medicines available these days, the entire world is still there for her to experience once she is stabilized.
I pray for her and your entire family.
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Rita, I'm so sorry to read this. You are exactly right about sledding being dangerous. My cousin was sledding in the winter of her freshman year in college. She collided with a tree and received a severe brain injury from it. After years and years of therapy, she completed her senior year of college and graduated 2 years ago - a testament to her personal drive. However, she will always have lingering health effects from the injury (including seizures) and will be on medication the rest of her life.
I empathize with you about the spinal cord injury though. I've had 2 friends that had spinal cord injuries - one from skiing (was wearing a helmet) and one from a diving accident. The one who was injured skiing never regained any use of her arms or legs and needs a respirator to breathe the majority of the time. The one who was injured diving is able to use his arms/hands and can even drive. All of their friends believe the main difference between the outcomes of the 2 (both injuries were nearly identical in spinal cord location and severity)…one had the financial means (even when insurance cut him off) to get treatment within 2 months of the injury at the Shepard Center in Atlanta, one did not. I'm sure you've been told by now that there is basically a 2 year window on when certain injuries can have mobility regained.
I will keep your family in my thoughts during this difficult time. A spinal cord injury is a tough, tough thing on family and friends.
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ohh my Rita Jean..how horribly sad. I will keep your family and especially her in my thoughts and prayers…sometimes having fun can have devastating effects and consequences...
Praying she will once again be the young at heart teenager she is...running and doing the things you should when you are that age..praying for healing. -
Thank you for the kinds thoughts and words. I only told this in hopes that no one will get hurt as Taylor has just watch were you play and have fun. Taylor is good kid deep down I think Taylor did better on her Birthday then us adults did.
Rita Jean
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I am so sorry she has had such a terrible injury. Kids are resilient, and she sounds like the kind of girl who will have a rich and meaningful life whether walking or driving a wheelchair. A head injury can have even worse outcome, so in that small way she is lucky. Spinal injury research is the hope of the future for so many.
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Oh Rita Jean - that is truely awful, just tragic. I would never have thought sledding could be that dangerous.
