Accident Disabled Mom Seeks Grant Money For Rehabilitation And Reeducation
by Terry Cobb
On our last day there, mom and I and 1 daughter were standing in mom's front yard talking, when a 47-foot-long tree branch fell out of a tree above us and hit me in the head. It broke my neck, and knocked me into a ravine. My mother, who was trimming branches, did not see it happen, because she had the trimmer on. My uncle who is autistic, saw it happen, and kept tugging on my mom's shoulder to try and get her attention because he knew that something was wrong. Besides breaking my neck, I was in a coma. When mom realized what happened, she screamed for my uncle to run in the house and get the phone. While she was trying to remain calm she ripped her shirt off to try and stop the bleeding, because my head was split open and my neck was broken. She called 911 and I was taken to Johnson city Memorial hospital, where my husband, who had stayed home with my other daughter, was called, and told that he better come quickly. Was told that I had a traumatic accident and probably would not live through the night. If he wanted to see me alive, he had better come quickly. He and my oldest flew up. I was in a coma for 16 days. After I came out of the coma. I was medevacked back to St. Petersburg Florida and was in the hospital for 3-1/2 months, where I was unconscious for 3 months and in therapy for 2 weeks. After that, I got out and went home to 3 children and a husband who traveled. I was in a wheelchair for a year, and could not walk or drive. In that year I was able to walk again, but not pretty. I tire easily, and am a little better but still need frequent rest. I have visual nerve damage in my eye, but the rest of the nerve damage is in my whole right side. I have third nerve palsy and TBI. I have short-term memory loss as well as some physical limitations. Since I was kicked to the curb, with very little income, I wish to go back to school, to better my education and be able to earn more.
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