My story

Ricky’s Story

“Look Out!”

Those were the last words I remember saying as my good friend’s truck started to go off the side of the road. The police said that we rolled 3 to 5 times down the steep hill, before the truck came to rest on all four tires. My buddy had fallen asleep while driving and although we were only going about 15 mph the truck continued to roll because it had a roll bar, which kept the cab from caving in on us. When it was over, I found myself hanging out the passenger door window and as I looked towards the road I could see my hands hanging in front of me as they dripped blood from the cuts I had. While hanging upside down, I noticed that I could not hear my buddy and I didn’t know if he was dead or alive. After what seemed like forever, I heard and felt the truck wiggle around as he woke up from his concussion and came over to see if I was okay. I told him he had to help me get out of that position and run for help in an area where neighbors are few and far between.

As he gently pulled me back into the truck bench seat, I realized that something was really wrong. The next time I totally woke up, I was in a hospital room where I found myself in a neck brace hanging face down, with machines and wires everywhere both in me and around me. I saw what I thought must be a nurse or somebody waiting for me to come to. I said hello and she instantly got down on the floor so she could look me in the eye and tell me where I was and that I had been in an accident that caused me to suffer a dislocation of my C4, C5, and C6 vertebrae and they were doing everything they could to keep me from being paralyzed. I had just turned 21 and that news made me think of the actual definition of the word NEVER!