Our Story

My husband, David, was just 50 when he suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in June, 2011, the result of a horrific car accident. An impaired driver, under the influence of prescription narcotics and alcohol, plowed into David’s car on the highway at a high rate of speed. The impact caused David to spin through the grassy median where he was then hit head on by a semi-truck traveling 65 mph in the opposite direction. It’s a miracle he survived.

He was classified as a 3 on the Glasgow Coma Scale, the proverbial bottom of the barrel, with no response to touch, light, or sound. After 17 days in the trauma ICU, he was transported to a rehabilitation hospital and endured five long months of intensive therapy. Despite the efforts of highly qualified therapists, David only made minimal gains. Medically classified as a quadriplegic, my husband now resides in a nursing home where he receives 24-hour care. The road to where we are now is marked with in-home care (the most difficult time of my life), brain injury rehab facility, and long-term nursing home care.

While David did not have the recovery we had hoped for, I work diligently to make sure that he has a full life. My role as his advocate and caregiver is my crown - all other hats pale in comparison.

We have two children. They were 10 and almost 13 when David was injured. A large part of the decision to place David into a nursing home was that I knew he would want me to devote my time to raising our children. Another harsh reality was that I would need to find full-time employment. Our bread-winner and provider was now classified by the courts as an “incapacitated person” (I hate that term).

Faith, family, and friends have been the primary ingredients carrying us through this trial. The helicopter carrying David from the scene of the accident was diverted south because of a storm. We had to travel 90 miles to get to him, not knowing if he was even alive. The only prayer I could whisper was, “Be glorified.” God has answered that prayer in both predictable and unpredictable ways and has demonstrated just how amazing His grace is. My wish for you is that you will be blessed in a tangible way by spending time here with me and other TBI caregivers.

May God’s blessings be with you,

Melanie