(THE STORY OF MY SISTER)
BY: JODY ALBRIGHT
IT WAS A COLD RAINY DAY, IT HAD RAINED OFF AND ON ALL DAY. THE DAY WILL NEVER BE ERASED FROM OUR MINDS. FEB 28TH 1998. THE DAY I WISHED COULD HAVE BEEN SKIPPED. TO MAKE A VERY LONG STORY SHORT I WILL START WHEN MY WIFE AND I(THE BROTHER) GOT A KNOCK ON OUR DOOR. THE TIME WAS AROUND 8:30. I HAD BEEN IN BED MOST OF THE DAY WITH LARENGITUS. IT WAS A SHERIFF DEPUTY AND HE HAD SAID MY SISTERS HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. I FIGURED IT WAS JUST A FENDER BENDER BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN IN A FEW BEFORE. SO I STAYED HOME AND MY WIFE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM WHERE WE LIVE. SHE WAS GONE A SHORT TIME BUT IT SEEMED LIKE 20 DAYS. I KNEW DEEP DOWN THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE WORST NIGHT OF MY LIFE TO THIS POINT, I HAD A FUNNY FEELING, SO I GOT DRESSED AND WAITED. MY WIFE CAME BACK AND SOON AS I OPENED THE DOOR I KNEW MY GUT FEELING WAS RIGHT BOTH OF MY SISTERS MELANIE AND STACEY WERE IN A BAD CAR ACCIDENT, COME TO FIND OUT THEY HAD HYDROPLANED INTO A SMALL CREEK AND HIT A EMBANKMENT. MY WIFE HAD CAME BACK AND SAID STACEY WAS BLEEDING FROM THE BRAIN AND MELAINE WAS IN SERIOUS CONDITION HERSELF. STACEY ALSO HAD A RUPTURED SPLEEN AND THAT HAD TO BE ADDRESSED AT ONCE. SHE WAS TAKEN TO A BIGGER HOSPITAL 40 MILES AWAY TO ADDRESS HER INJURIES. STACEY HAD SWELLING OF THE BRAIN AND WAS IN SERIOUS CONDITION. THAT SAME NIGHT THE NEUROLOGICAL DOCTOR ON CALL SAID "SHE WOULD PROBALBY NOT MAKE IT TO SEE THE SUN COME UP" HE WAS VERY BLUNT AND WHAT HE SAID I THOUGHT WOULD PROABLY BE THE TRUTH. STACEY HAD A SHUNT PUT IN HER HEAD WHILE SHE WAS THERE. SHE STAYED IN A COMA THEIR FOR 50 DAYS AND WAS MOVED TO LOUISVILL AND THEN LEXINGTON THE TOTAL SUM OF TIME IN HER COMA WAS 6 MONTHS. IN THE MEANTIME, THE OTHER SISTER WAS SENT TO A TRAUMA CENTER IN MEMPHIS, TN , SHE SUFFERED A BROKEN FEMUR AND FACIAL WOUNDS, EAR DAMAGE. SHE HAS RECOVERED PRETTY GOOD. HOWEVER, STACEY DID RECIEVE A TBI, AND HER RECOVERY IS STILL IN THE PROCESS AND ALWAYS WILL BE. SHE HAS BEEN TO L.A. CALIFORNIA TWICE FOR THERAPY AND CONTINUES TO GET THERAPY IN OUR TOWN. WE LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN SO THE OPTIONS ARE BY FAR NOT THE GREATEST BUT THEY DO WHAT THEY CAN. WHAT WE DO AS A FAMILY IS TO FIGHT EVERDAY FOR STACEY AND PEOPLE LIKE HER. YES, THIS DOES HAPPEN TO A "NORMAL FAMILY". STACEY TO THIS HOUR STILL CAN NOT WALK AND NEEDS CARE 24-7, MOST OF THIS IS DONE BY MY PARENTS WHOSE LIFES KIND OF HAVE BEEN PLACED SOMEWHAT ON HOLD DUE TO THIS TBI WITH STACEY, NOT SAYING THAT DONT HAVE LIFES IT JUST HAS BEEN GREATLY ALTERED AS WELL HAS ALL OF OURS. STACEY ALSO HAS SMALL SEIZURES. SHE NEEDS HELP WITH PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING SHE DOES. SHE DOES LOVE PEOPLE AND LOVES TALKING TO THEM VERY MUCH. STACEYS NUMBER ONE GOAL IN LIFE IS TO WALK SOMEDAY AND SOMEDAY SHE PROABLY WILL. SOMETIMES THIS SEEMS LIKE A NIGHTMARE AND SOMETIMES I WISHED IT WAS BECAUSE THEN YOU WAKE UP BUT THEIR IS NO WAKING UP TO THIS DREAM THIS IS NO DREAM. IT IS VERY REAL. THAT NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT OUR LIVES HAD ACTUALLY JUST BEGUN. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM OTHE TBI PATIENTS AS WELL AS THE CAREGIVERS OF TBI. MY SISTER LOVES TO GET E-MAIL. SO PLEASE E-MAIL HER AT salbright@apex.net. WE ARE ALSO TRYING TO RAISE MONEY FOR STACEY AND HER REHAB BECAUSE WHOMEVER IS READING THIS KNOWS ABOUT THE COST OF THIS. IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE THEY CAN SEND DONATIONS TO
STACEY ALBRIGHT ACCOUNT
THE MURRAY BANK
P.O. BOX 1300
MURRAY, KENTUCKY 42071
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU-BROTHER OF TBI SISTER
