“I was the girl in the neck brace. ‘Just give it time,’ they repeated. My memory betrayed me, forgetting class times, notes, names. Every day, I woke up with a headache. Doctors warned me graduating was unlikely.”
‘As I was thinking about how wonderful life was, my head slammed into the steering wheel. My final summer was gone.’: Teen suffers brain injury, graduates college, ‘Always have hope’
‘It’s going to be rough, PLEASE don’t let him remember.’ My bike flew into the air. Part of my skull was gone.’: Man recovers from horrible accident, ‘The love of strangers overwhelmed me’
“There was a speeding car behind me. I don’t have any memory of it. People from around the world started messaging my parents, letting them know they were praying for me. Tears streamed from my eyes.”
‘Why are there only four people?’ ‘I’m not in the picture, I’m in heaven.’ A part of me knew it was true, even then.’: Mom shares emotional grief journey after 14-year-old son killed in car crash
“He was everyone’s greatest cheerleader, and his teammates and coaches loved him for it. I had an overwhelming feeling to appreciate that exact moment in time. ‘The traffic is actually not too bad.’ That was the last moment I remember.”
‘Please end his suffering.’ The universe heard me wrong. He was only 8. Now one was sick and the other, gone.’: After losing son, mom teaches others how grief can lead to empowerment
“‘Please put an end to his pain. He had over 300 seizures. My husband shouted, ‘There has been an accident!’ A phone call confirmed a mother’s worst nightmare.”
‘Mom said, ‘You aren’t coming home.’ My sexuality was a sin. I was punished for making eye contact. The chance I’d pull through was slim.’: Woman survives accident, cancer, ‘I’m ALIVE for the first time’
“I was topping the scales at over 650 pounds. I pulled up and asked him if he was okay. A rush of cars started coming and they weren’t slowing down. Then I heard brakes screeching, the glass breaking. I flew through the air. I’d have to have my entire tongue removed.”
‘Please, tell me where you are.’ I’m adamant. ‘I don’t want help.’ I hang up the phone. Tears were streaming down my face. It was time.’: Woman’s suicide attempt ends in miracle survival, ‘You can choose to live’
“My girlfriend of 3 years finally left me. After all the hurt and pain I’d caused, she finally walked out the door. I jumped in my car and sped down to Walmart. I needed a gun. My brain went back to panic mode. I got in my car and just started driving. My ex had called the cops.”
‘Can you be our designated driver?’ 5 minutes after I dropped off my mom, a drunk driver crossed the yellow line at 117 mph.’: Car crash survivor urges ‘get a ride’ after losing aunt to drunk driver
“I remember the silence, then sirens. People running from their houses, lights shining, and the rush of an emergency situation. People asked me, ‘Who are you? Where were you going? Have you been drinking?’ I had no idea what happened or how I got there.”
‘Call 9-1-1!’ He started checking for unlocked doors. ‘Let’s break a window.’ I could see desperation on his face.’: Kind strangers help a woman after seizures cause terrifying car crash
“’Oh no, please don’t let that car tumble over the bridge!’ I said. The older gentleman looked my way. ‘Let’s break a window,’ he said. He searched his vehicle to find something with no luck. I looked around and now saw a huge semi slow and pull over on this tiny shoulder too. A SEMI! As I drove away, I knew I had made a difference that day.”
‘I was at the supermarket buying cake mix when I suddenly heard a loud crack. ‘This may sound strange, but I think my leg just broke.’: Young woman says ‘life is beautifully fragile’ after near-death accident
“I stumbled forward. A man stopped his shopping. I looked him dead in the eye. ‘This may sound strange now, but I think my leg just broke.’ People started gathering around me. Instead of taking my finals, I broke up with my boyfriend, began to lose my friends, and went from doctor to doctor. No one could explain what was wrong with me.”
‘I was awake, shaking in the fetal position under a fence with my spinal chord split in half. ‘You need to start funeral arrangements. She won’t make it till morning.’: Paralyzed woman celebrates life after forced into motorcycle police chase
“He was drinking a lot and took some pills. I was forced onto his bike and he took off very fast, driving recklessly. Terrified, I clung to him. A cop quickly pulled behind us. He sped off at 100 mph. That’s when it happened. I didn’t wake up until a month and a half later. ‘This can’t be real.’ I was heartbroken with a pain I’d never felt before. ‘Where are my babies?!’ When they came to visit, they wouldn’t even come near me. They couldn’t recognize me anymore.”
