Hello, My name is Stacey Rosner. Back on February 9, 1988, my boyfriend,Greg, and I were driving home from a tavern in Marysville, WA(60 miles north of Seattle). The rain that night was very heavy, and we were heading down a road which had recently encounterd a diesel oil spill. We went to make a left turn onto a side road when the blue Chevy Blazer(at Left) slammed into the Passenger side of our 1978 Trans-AM(also Left). I was riding in the passenger seat and was thrown from the vehicle's T-top which had popped out on impact. The police heard me in the bushes moaning about 20 minutes after the accident. I was thrown over the guardrail and down the embankment on the side of the freeway. Due to the post traumatic syndrome, memories of that night aren't clear. What was clear though was that I had the best friend in the world who stuck by my side for the 32 day I spent in a Coma. Debbie documented all those days in a diary, so that I would know what went on during my time of sleep. Below are the transcripts from that diary.
'That night at 12:00am Carl (Greg's father) called. He told me that you and Greg had been in an accident and that you were in a coma, but Greg was dead' 'My mom took me to the hospital, and all I could remember was thinking "Why you guys?" and what are you going to be feeling about Greg being Gone. When we got to the hospital, we went up to the third floor, and your mom put her arms around me. I just started crying harder than I was in the car. The doctor came in to talk to your mom. I remember him saying something about a screw in your head. I just lost it!'
'They were taking you up to ICU. So we went up there and waited for them to get you all hooked up. They weren't going to let me go in to see you cuz I was so upset and crying. They didn't want me to upset you. The doctors said that your mom and her husband could go in to see you. Your mom looked at me and said it was alright if I go in, as long as I didn't cry. My mom went in also. I couldn't believe that was you laying there. It was hard for me not to cry. I felt so sorry for you. I just wanted to give you a hug and kiss soo bad.'
' I cried the whole way home. I remember saying to my mom that you were going to freak out because they had to shave your hair. Can you believe that was what I was worried about!'
Day4: ' They just found out that your jaw was broken, thats why your chin was so swollen. I was there a while with your mom's husband, les. He got real upset that they didn't catch it sooner and save your bottom front teeth from dying. We were told that we had to leave. '
Day 6: ' I told you all about Saturday night. I prayed for and with you. You were moving alot. You were scaring me because you were moving soo much. I was just wishing that you would wake up. I had to go back to the waiting room. The doctors said that you were moving because you were coughing a lot.'
Debbie wrote every day until I woke up, and then continued until Easter Sunday of 1988. The road has been a long one. I spent 6 months in the hospital for re-habilitation. My motor skill were all outta wack. They said I'd never walk, talk, or get out of that damn wheelchair. Though its still slow going, I've since gotten married in 1994 (Picture at Left) to a great guy in the midwest. We met on the internet. I have given birth to two beautiful kids, Julianne,(7) and Anthony,(5). I am fully functional with some speech and balance problems. My husband seems to think I'm always improving, but that may just be a biased opinion Its been 11 years since my accident, and I'm living proof that doctors don't know shit about the human brain. So, no matter how bleak the doctors make your situation seem, they don't know as much as they would like about the brain, and the human spirit. Don't let them tell you what you can and can't do. That is for you to decide. Don't give up, and keep working hard to fight your way back. You don't know what you can do until you try.
Stacey M. Rosner
MVA Survivor, 1988
