Hi. My name is Ashley. On April 25, 1999, when I was 15 years old, I was a back-seat passenger in a car that lost control and hit two trees. Because I didn't wear a seatbelt, I was thrown around inside the car and hit my head. I was rushed to a hospital in a helicopter. They shaved all my long hair off and put an ICP bolt in my head to measure the pressure on my brain. I was kept in an induced coma for 5 days until the pressure came down. After that, I was in my own coma for a long time. My parents moved me to a Coma Recovery Program at a Rehabilitation Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I slowly came out of my coma there, but couldn't walk, talk or eat. Then I went to another Rehabilitation Center where I slowly improved. I could finally talk and eat six months after my accident, just in time for my 16th birthday. By February 2000, I was slowly walking on my own. I had Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapy everyday. On July 14, 2000, after almost a year and a half, I went home for good. I am back in school now and have straight A's. My long term memory is good, but my short term memory is bad. I will probably forget I even wrote this. I don't know what I will do with my life in the future but with the loving support of my family and friends, I know I am in good hands. I will keep praying to God to help improve my memory. Without God and the prayers he answered I wouldn't be where I am today. Thank you for letting me share my story.
