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Hey Everyone, I want to inform you of my past and present conditions: I was a front passenger in a near fatal car accident (including 3 others) on June 16, 2005, 14 days after my perfect graduation. I was so excited to be graduated and looked forward to continuing my education at UNT in Denton, TX. From watching CSI and Law & Order daily, I was inspired to obtain a Criminal Justice Degree. However, a part of me always enjoyed designing and decorating, so I also wanted a degree in Interior Design. I had many friends, a loving family, and a great boyfriend... a normal life; or so I thought. And then it happened... the very last thing I thought that could have ever happen. The driver of my car fearlessly ran a stop sign and crossed Hwy 5 at a high speed. An 18-wheeler was approaching at precisely 40 mph at that exact moment. He smashed into my door so far that it was shockingly touching the center console, thrusting my jeep yards away. I was lodged in my seat somehow between the console and my crushed door. We flipped over and over which knocked us passengers unconscious. When we were found, the driver of my car had fled the scene and left us all unconscious... to die. He even drug me out of my seat, out of the crushed position I was in, over his seat and out of the car. I personally think he was trying to make it look as if I was driving so he could be free and innocent. He was the only one without injuries and that was conscious. Paramedics found me face down on the cement, not breathing. They told me that it sadly took numerous tries to revive me. The truck driver told detectives that when he was about to hit us, he noticed me looking straight at him. That tears me up each time I think about it. I was then care-flighted to Parkland Hospital in Dallas along with two other passengers.
I was immediately put on a ventilator to help keep me breathing, due to a shattered C6 vertebra in my neck, which permanently damaged my spinal cord. My first few hours in ICU, I had a CAT scan which found a blood clot moving in one of the two main arteries to the brain at the C6 injury site. The first life threatening, surgery was to coil the blood clot, disabling the artery permanently. The second day I lost too much blood for my body to handle so my blood pressure dropped dangerously low. My second life threatening surgery was to stop internal bleeding and repair my lacerated liver and spleen. Because my spine was pressed against my spinal cord, I flat-lined three separate times. This delayed my spinal fusion for 5 days since I was having heart issues and a Cardiologist was sent in. I was comatose for two weeks and then finally had my third surgery, the spinal fusion of C5-C7 in my neck. An IPC blood clot filter was installed in the groin prior to this surgery to prevent blood clots from my legs traveling to my heart or brain.
After
three weeks of not communicating, I had finally come to the realization
of what had happened. My parents told me that I would keep waking
up, wondering what was going on and they had to continuously retell me. I had to relearn how to breathe
with breathing treatments, which I
thought was the worst part.
I acquired pneumonia and had a collapsed lung, which complicated things further. I have had several seizures annd Urinary Tract Infections, which causes Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD). AD is my reaction to pain: increased blood pressure, profuse sweating, stuffy nose, hot flashes, goose bumps, and racing heart. I have had a team of over twenty doctors, not including speech, respiratory, physical, and occupational therapists.
I am finally home
now after 18 weeks in three different hospitals. SCI persons are
very dependant. I am a C6
quadriplegic, meaning I have no sensory or motor skills below
my chest.
Another surgery I had was in December 2005. This was an attempt to fix my hip due to the ball out of the socket and the socket unattached. My left abductor tendon was released and I had a procedure performed on my left hip called a "Girdlestone" procedure. The ball was cut off of my femur bone to reduce any more fragments and possible AD. Another surgery performed was a tendon release on my right foot (my pinky toe got dislocated due to spasms). All doctors and specialists that have seen me tell me that I will not regain any more movement. Of course, my emotional state is a roller coaster. I feel that I am too young to have to experience this degradement of life. Now that you know about my condition, you may also understand the stress and frustration we all experience. We pray everyday that God provides another miracle for my complete recovery. The first miracle provided was my life spared for a plan we do not know yet. Since this tragic accident, family, friends, and numerous people all over the U.S. have been praying for me and now for a complete recovery. We know that when many come together, the power of prayer has exhibited miraculous results from past experiences. We also know that I can be healed completely by the hand of the Almighty Healer, Our Lord, in His time. After researching, the only promising medical hope for my condition is stem cell treatments. The U.S. is researching stem cells while other countries have been performing miracles elsewhere. The most promising facilities appear to be in Russia, China and Portugal. These countries have treated hundreds of spinal cord patients and other diseases/ sicknesses and boast of an improvement of two levels or better, some with full recovery. Russia has a treatment process with your own adult stem cells. Two levels would give me my hands and fingers that would certainly help me become independent. As we all know, the only thing to prevent me from this treatment is funding the airfare, hotel stay, and of course the treatment with hospital stay to Russia. Average (first) treatments appear to be $29,000+, which is a considerable amount of finances (see "My Goal" page), but we feel is well worth the improvement of life. My mom has been out of work since the accident to take care of me. We are completely tapped out of finances with the home modifications, purchase of a ramp van to transport me which is already falling apart, and all the medical expenses. We ask for help with a giving heart, with any suggestions or help with fundraisers, or benefits. We have a Post Office box now for my proceeds of benefits, fundraisers, and donations. With your help we hope to generate enough someday to help me become independent. Please mail anything to: Tonya Winchester Irrevocable Trust 805 Bluffview Dr. McKinney, Tx. 75071 God will bless you all 100 fold! Sincere Thanks, Gerry, Nelda, Tacha, and Tonya Winchester, Billy Wood Jr.
Website Sponsored by CCCS of North Central Texas This site was last updated 03/16/09
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A
tracheotomy was performed at that
time; I still have the scar. I could not speak for another four
weeks until my trach was capped.
I
also had a multi fractured hip and pelvic with dislocation (there's
still something wrong with it), which needed surgery. I was in leg
traction for eight weeks to promote healing of those fractures...
however this was unsuccessful. During this time I became
more aware of my injury and struggled to gain strength after lying in
bed for nine weeks. 
I
cannot even move my fingers. I have been in the Emergency room
three times within a two-week period due to Autonomic Dysreflexia from my UTI
infections, kidney stones, and also my busted hip. My blood
pressure has risen to 200/130; my usual is 90/60.
