My name is Katie Mathews and I am a quadriplegic because of a car accident that distracted driving played a major role in. A friend of mine and I decided to take the interstate one night to go to one of our friend’s house. We weren’t quite sure exactly how to get to her house so I decided to call and get directions while my friend was driving. I had my phone on speaker, so the driver could hear the directions as they were being given. As the directions were given to exit onto Jacaranda, we both realized we were about to pass the exit we were instructed to take. My friend swung the steering wheel to the right, in hopes that we wouldn’t miss our exit. We exchanged glances of terror because we both felt as if the car was going to topple over. In sheer panic, she threw the steering wheel in the opposite direction to prevent the car from flipping. In doing so, it made the car even more unstable and we ended up rolling to our left, 4 times.
I spent five and a half weeks in Bayfrount’s Neuro ICU, 2 of which in a coma. I sustained a C6/7 incomplete spinal cord injury, causing me to face life from then on as a quadriplegic. I also sustained a mild Brain Injury. From Bayfrount, I was medi-vaced to Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado. I spent four and a half months working on my rehabilitation and undergoing countless medical tests and surgeries before returning home.
I have realized that it does me no good to dwell on the past. Instead, I have decided to make the most out of the life I am so blessed to still have.
