Let me tell you how my life was changed forever. On July 1, 1999, I had just gotten to the beach with my Mom and my three brothers: Cole ~ 2, Chad ~ 4 Paul ~ 15. My friend, Kendra, and I decided to go to the boardwalk. My friend s dad was going to drive us, but then we decided that it would be fun to take the bus. So we persuaded Kendra's dad to let us take the bus. I knew my Mom wouldn't let me take the bus (she wouldn't even let my older brother cross the main road). So we decide to lie and tell my Mom that Kendra's dad couldn't take us. Since my little brothers were sleeping she couldn't take me, so against her better judgment she let me go, with many warnings to be careful, $20 to spend, and a sheet of paper with her cell phone # and the beach house #. Kendra and I got on to the bus and after 15 blocks we realized that we were going the wrong way and got off.

That's when we had to cross the street. I ran across the street and made it across three lanes when a car with six teenagers hit me in the fourth lane. When I was hit I was thrown up in the air, hit the wind shield, then I was thrown forty feet. Kendra started running to tell my Mom but it was too far so she got a lady from the bank to drive her. My Mom heard two people running up the steps and knew there was panic but since there were two shadows she thought we were okay, until she saw my friend with a strange lady. My Mom was panicked and yelled "WHERE'S KRISTEN?" and the lady yelled back "your daughter was hit by a car." My Mom started running down the street when she realized my little brothers were running after her, she had to stop and turn around knowing that I was in bad shape ~ my Mom says it was the hardest thing she ever had to do - "to stop running when the only thing she wanted was to get to me," then a lady she didn't even know offered to stay with the kids.

My Mom got into a car with my friends dad. The traffic was bumper to bumper so my Mom got out of the car and started to run towards the emergencies vehicles 15 blocks away (lol picture this ~ she was in a mini skirt and bare - foot running as fast as she could. tee hee hee) She was then spotted by the police and they took her to the scene but by then I had already been taken by medivac and they couldn't tell my Mom if I was alive or dead.

Then my Mom was taken to the hospital by a police officer. They told her they were having a priest meet her at the hospital, she told them "no" because she felt that was giving up on me. When my dad was notified he was 4 hr. away working. My Mom tells me she was all alone sitting outside of the emergency room when an old lady appeared out of nowhere. The lady put her arm around my Mom and started praying for me, and my Mom said that she felt something that she never felt before go through her. The doctor then came out to get her and the lady disappeared. For the whole night and the rest of my stay at the hospital my Mom looked for the old lady (we believe that she was an Angel). Then my doctors told my Mom that they were going to do the best they could but I didn't have much of a chance because my injuries were so severe. I had bleeding and bruising in the brain in three places ~ the top, left, and right side of my brain, my heart and lungs were crushed and bruised, internal! bleeding so bad that the doctors thought that it was the aorta to the heart that was punctured, and a broken pelvic. You might not believe it but I was in the hospital for only 9 days and I was in a coma for only 4 days ~ when I woke up I had to learn everything all over again. My wonderful parents never left my side. They took me home and my Mom slept on the floor by my bed. I had no summer because I had therapy 5 days a week 6 hours a day at Kennedy Krieger, the best hospital, for brain injuries.

Believe it or not now I am leading somewhat of a normal life except for I can't do any sports that include physical contact because the doctors have told me that I have only 10% cushioning left in my head out of 35%, I get tired very quickly, sometimes I limp, my Mom tells me I'm very emotional and withdrawn.

I'd like to thank all my friends and family for all the support and prayers ~ all my wonderful doctors, nurses, and therapists ~ and most of all my dad for taking all the hitting while I was in pain and for all his love ~ my little brothers, Chad and Cole, for singing to me while I was in the coma and for all their love ~ my older brother, Paul, for getting my Nintendo 64, my T.V, and my room ready for me for when I got home and babysitting Chad and Cole while my parents were in the hospital with me and for all his love ~ and last but surely not least my mom for staying by my side with many sleepless nights and helping me recover and for all her love.

Sorry this is so long but after reading it over there is really no detail that I could have taken out. I could have written much more but tried to keep it short.

!!!!Thank you for your time!!!!

??? Something like this happen to you???

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