Everything can change in a moment
One day, in one moment my sisters life changed. I was at work when I got a call from the police saying my sister was being taken to the hospital because she was in a bad accident. I remember just sitting there in complete shock, I couldn't even say anything. I immediately drove to the hospital and found her doctor. He tried to prepare me for what I was about to see but I wouldn't listen, I had to get in there and see her, I was all she had. Nothing that doctor said could have prepared me for what I was about to see. My little sister was in an induced coma and her face looked un recognizable. A stranger would have never been able to tell that she was a junior in high school, her face was so bruised and so swollen with and all stitched up everywhere it seemed. Looking bad I'm so glad she was not awake because I lost it. I literally fell to my knees and cried uncontrollably. Once they had reduced the swelling in her brain they were able to take her off the drugs and from then it was a lot of waiting until she woke up. I think that was the single most happiest moment of my life, seeing her eyes open and feel her grip my hand. We knew she couldn't move her left leg but everyone reassured us she could regain that mobility. She stayed in the hospital a couple weeks and we finally moved her back home.
When I got her home my boyfriend and I helped all we could but we tried to let her learn her own routine because that's what she wanted. I thought the worst was behind us once we were home but boy was I wrong! My sister was always the pretty one and she had a full scholarship to a great college lined up for soccer and thankfully the school is still offering the scholarship if she decides to go there whether she plays or not but she is struggling to cope with it. My boyfriend and I take turns taking her to physical therapy appointments and while she is still making progress it's not as quick as she would like. That plus the scarring on her face, which is actually not as bad as she sees it, is really hard for her and seeing her struggle is incredibly hard for me as well, even though she won't ever know that.
All this time she was going to therapy as well because she was having some post traumatic stress disorder symptoms and became everyday depressed. I knew all of this but nothing can ever prepare you for walking into your sisters room to see her on the floor with a bottle of her pain medication empty on the floor next to her. I have never felt like I failed her until that very moment. Thankfully the ambulance got here just in time and they were able to save her. In that time before they would let me see her I felt so helpless. As horrible as this whole thing has been the days following the accident have been completely different, she still struggles with her scarring and she still can't walk on her own but she has this new determination and has become a lot more positive. She still has her days as expected but my boyfriend, her therapist, her friends and I have become a great support system and she is finally coming to peace with her minor obstacle and feels like she can over come this as she has with other tragic incidents in our past.
The morale of the story is everybody needs somebody and I know many older people believe young people cannot experience depression Ina real way but if someone you know is reaching out for your help and you can't help them do not hesitate to get them the help they need. If it wasn't for the hospital staff and EMTs my sister wouldn't be here for this wonderful holiday season and there is honestly not greater gift than that.
When I got her home my boyfriend and I helped all we could but we tried to let her learn her own routine because that's what she wanted. I thought the worst was behind us once we were home but boy was I wrong! My sister was always the pretty one and she had a full scholarship to a great college lined up for soccer and thankfully the school is still offering the scholarship if she decides to go there whether she plays or not but she is struggling to cope with it. My boyfriend and I take turns taking her to physical therapy appointments and while she is still making progress it's not as quick as she would like. That plus the scarring on her face, which is actually not as bad as she sees it, is really hard for her and seeing her struggle is incredibly hard for me as well, even though she won't ever know that.
All this time she was going to therapy as well because she was having some post traumatic stress disorder symptoms and became everyday depressed. I knew all of this but nothing can ever prepare you for walking into your sisters room to see her on the floor with a bottle of her pain medication empty on the floor next to her. I have never felt like I failed her until that very moment. Thankfully the ambulance got here just in time and they were able to save her. In that time before they would let me see her I felt so helpless. As horrible as this whole thing has been the days following the accident have been completely different, she still struggles with her scarring and she still can't walk on her own but she has this new determination and has become a lot more positive. She still has her days as expected but my boyfriend, her therapist, her friends and I have become a great support system and she is finally coming to peace with her minor obstacle and feels like she can over come this as she has with other tragic incidents in our past.
The morale of the story is everybody needs somebody and I know many older people believe young people cannot experience depression Ina real way but if someone you know is reaching out for your help and you can't help them do not hesitate to get them the help they need. If it wasn't for the hospital staff and EMTs my sister wouldn't be here for this wonderful holiday season and there is honestly not greater gift than that.