Horrid accident involving my sister.

[Shax]

On February 12th around 9pm my little sister was on her way home from work. On her way, at an intersection where she had the right of way, someone ran the red light and smashed into her car on the drivers side.

I have seen pictures of her car, the drivers side is completely crushed. I am shocked she survived it. She now lays in a hospital, Spectrum Health, in Grand Rapids, Michigan in critical condition. Multiple broken bones including a fractured pelvis and serious brain trauma.

I have no idea just how to feel right now. My entire body is shaking and my emotions are running wild. She's my little sister, only 18, and I just don't want to lose her.... Any advice would be good. I haven't slept since the accident.

Article on the crash: http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/ottawa_county/holland-township-crash-february-12-2013

Care page on my sister. If you make an account you can get updates and send love her way: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/bripayne

I'll be keeping updates here too and post up pics the car when I can get my dads laptop...

[Amber Williams]

Try to get some sleep, it can be difficult to do, but sleep does help and the more tired you get the more emotionally distressing you will make yourself.   Don't feel like you have to feel a certain way...emotions are what they are.  Just be sure to not get so swept up in them that you end up hurting yourselves or doing something regretful.

You and your sister are in my thoughts.  Please keep us updated or feel free to write your thoughts out if you just want some place to vent.

[Shax]

Thanks Mab for your support. My family and I need all the love we can get right now. Parents are having me hold down the fort at home right now to look after our pets.

I got to see her for the first time last night. I nearly fell to my knees in shock with the way she was... It's not looking good.

Here's her car....

[joshofspam]

Sorry to hear about your sister's accident.

I can understand from the looks of the car, just  how serious of condition she must be in. Hopefully, she can pull through.

I'm hoping for you all. I've known people that have pulled through worst.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I got to see her for the first time last night. I nearly fell to my knees in shock with the way she was... It's not looking good.

Bear in mind that while she's not present in her head, her body looks vacant, which makes it all worse than it might otherwise seem. And once she starts healing, she should recover fairly well - the human body is like that.

I speak here from the experience of watching my youngest brother in ICU for two months after he got 30% full thickness burns. Two months after that, he broke his ankle - so he had to be up and about fairly well to manage that much. And also watching my own son in ICU when he was ~3 days old...


My brother is still scarred from the burns, but I think he's recovered mentally - in the last couple of years my sister and I were swapping stories on FB, and he chimed in with "ooo, is this a scar swapping thing? I think I win. " *grin*

So... whilst she might look bad now, bear in mind that if she can get past the shock and trauma, she should recover fairly well; broken bones are slow to heal, but once they're on the way, they're pretty reliable about it.

Here's her car....

Wow. That's pretty mangled - but it looks like it mostly tried to crumple around the passenger compartment, rather than into it, inasmuch as possible. In other words, it protected your sister as much as it could; sideways is a bad way to get pushed, for the brain.


My thoughts are with you, there. Here's hoping she pulls through.

[Mao]

llearch, that's the driver's side on that car, I believe.  Where she was sitting.

[Shax]

llearch, that's the driver's side on that car, I believe.  Where she was sitting.

Yeah. If this was in Europe she would be on the other side. But no, the driver's side got hit.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Tried, I said. It also looks like the driver of the other car made a concerted effort to be a dick, but I didn't feel that needed to be said. :-/

[Dressari]

While I can't relate exactly to this... I know what it feels like to be on the scary side of death's door. Inches away from a car backing into me at ten-fifteen miles an hour. I was not in a car, I was walking... were it not for a single metal pole 2 inches wide out of the ground...

I dunno... it was close, I try not to think about it just remind myself all the good deeds I did in life paid off in some manner.

Try and stay calm, doctors are good in many countries especially the US and UK despite what we may hear about them in some news stories. Drink, eat, get some rest, snuggle with the pets and if you believe in something/someone pray to it. Believe your sister will be fine, be optimistic.

[ChaosMageX]

I really hope your sister pulls through.  I can't really empathize with this situation much, but I can still wish your sister, you, and your family the best in these trying times.

Tried, I said. It also looks like the driver of the other car made a concerted effort to be a dick, but I didn't feel that needed to be said. :-/

All we can do is hope that justice is served and this person gets the punishment that they most certainly deserve.

[icarus]

my thoughts are with your sister, shax. i really hope she pulls through, and i'll be rooting for her.

keep us updated on her condition. the first few hours after an accident are always the most tense.

[James StarRunner]

Dang... That's downright scary right there. Reminds me of my uncle's accident. It was grim. He wasn't supposed to survive. It would have been a miracle if he stayed alive, forever brain dead. But he beat all odds and leads a normal life now. I can only hope for the same luck.

[Jasonrevall]

I'm so sorry that this happened to your sister shax. My best wishes go to her and your family in this time. I really hope she pulls

through. I'm sure Solar is sending his best wishes as well. We're hoping for the best and we're here to help if we can <3

[Ignuus66]

Wow- that is terrible- I hope for you and your family that she will live 

[Shax]

Good news. We rounded a major corner and we are no longer in survival mode, just healing mode now. Everything the doctors have been saying today is nothing but good news and said she might beable to wake up sometime next week!)

[Tapewolf]

Good news. We rounded a major corner and we aren't longer in survival mode, just healing mode now. Everything the doctors have been saying today is nothing but good news and said she might beable to wake up sometime next week!)

Excellent.  Do keep us posted!

[Shax]

Also, did I ever mention I HATE the iPads auto correct?

[joshofspam]

Excellent news!

With recovery mode, this also means you can all breath a little easier now as well. Hope for her a fast recovery.

Recovery time in a hospital bed can get so dull.

[Ignuus66]

That is great news, and just in time for the meteorite! This (post)valentines day must be very nice for you!

You should sleep now.

[Merlin]

Good news. We rounded a major corner and we are no longer in survival mode, just healing mode now. Everything the doctors have been saying today is nothing but good news and said she might beable to wake up sometime next week!)

That's really good news, and fingers crossed she keeps on the mend. I am really sorry this accident had to happen to her and your family.

[icarus]

so the doctors are feeling optomistic for her survival? HORRAY!
gonna keep her in my thoughts though, hopefully the swelling goes down super fast and she's up and about in no time at all

[Teraunce]

came here from mabs. as others have said, rest and relax, although the worst that's ever happened to a relative I know is grammy suffering from a major stroke. worried me a lot there. but stay strong and try not to worry too much, it will drive you insane.

[ChaosMageX]

Good news. We rounded a major corner and we aren't longer in survival mode, just healing mode now. Everything the doctors have been saying today is nothing but good news and said she might beable to wake up sometime next week!)

Excellent.  Do keep us posted!

Yes, please keep us all posted.  But first, take some deep, cleansing breathes and try to rest easy and catch up on any sleep that you may have missed during the tense time immediately following the accident.  Once again, I hope that everything works out and that your sister wakes up just fine.

[James StarRunner]

Also, did I ever mention I HATE the iPads auto correct?

Oh, I have one as well that I have with school. That was a common phrase for me. It would even change the words that were correct. But I found you CAN turn it off in the settings.

But it's great to hear your sister is in a much more stable condition now!

[Paladin Sheppard]

Good to hear Shax!

[Ghostwish]

Good news. We rounded a major corner and we are no longer in survival mode, just healing mode now. Everything the doctors have been saying today is nothing but good news and said she might beable to wake up sometime next week!)

Oh thank gods for that. Here's hoping for more and more good news!!

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Excellent news, Shax. Glad to hear she's recovering already.

[Gabi]

I'm glad to know she's getting better. I hope she can make a full recovery.

[Emerauld Drathmir]

It looks like her car did as was designed, and protected her.  Looking at the pictures took me to my wreck 21 years ago.  I was your sisters age, and was the driver of the car.   
The only difference is my car was a Crown Vic LTD wagon, and it crumpled into a bagel shape.  I hit a pothole on a gravel road at less than twenty mph.  Then hit a utility pole inches away from the breaker box. Everyone on scene classified it as a fatal crash, and did not anticipate survivors.  My sister had a double open fractured femur, and a shattered knee on opposite leg.  Her friend had a head injury.  I broke three ribs and cracked a fourth, had second degree burns on my neck from seat belt abrasion, broken nose, and a torn up shoulder that ended up gangrenous.  Lucky for me, an awesome nurse saved my arm by iodine scrubbing it several times a day for several days, and I have a wicked scar on my shoulder that makes a great story, and after therapy, full use of my shoulder and arm.

Everyone survived, and gave the yakety yak ambulance drivers hell for chatting over us all doom and gloom like.  Loads of therapy and surgeries for us, and we survived and thrived.  Her friend got a couple of college degrees, my sister got one, and got married and has a gorgeous year and a half old bundle of energy.  I have an eight year old.

The most important thing for you(something I wish I knew while my sister was going through everything), is food, hydration, and rest.  If you do not take care of your body, it will force you to by shutting down.  Please give yourself downtime, and try to relax. 

I am sure she will bounce back and be back to business as usual soon.  Please take care of yourself so she will see the familiar, which will also help with recovery times.  God Bless you and yours with health and speedy recoveries. 

[Ignuus66]

The human body is a great thing indeed.