We’d finally made it. After 16 years of marriage, 5 kids in 6 years (including 2 sets of twins), health challenges galore, financial hardship… life. For the first time we finally felt like things were at that ‘point’ that we’d always wanted to get to. During COVID quarantine, my husband Trevor got promoted to the position he’d been working towards for 5 years. I finally found how to sleep, eat and hydrate in a way that fueled my body and kept me out of the hospital. I was thriving in my personal and career life. We were co-parenting well and were excited for our oldest twins to start highschool soon. Our marriage was strong as we took time to nourish it and ourselves. We were training for our first marathon and Trevor was running 8+ miles a day – up the nearby canyon and back. All of our hard work and grit was finally paying off.
“911… What’s your emergency?”
I couldn’t see. My vision came in and out in large waves of black to blurry, back to black. I didn’t know what had happened. I couldn’t process any thoughts or formulate any logic. But I knew we needed help. A lot of help. And very quickly. Just that morning Trevor and I loaded up our oldest twins – Cameron and Owen – and my best friend Mel. We were so excited to take the boys on a backpacking trip in the backcountry. We would have to drive a boring 2 lane road for hours to get to the trailhead, but we knew Mel would keep them entertained asking them witty questions that would keep them engaged.
While we were driving, a car coming the other way attempted to pass a semi truck. They failed to see us and hit us head on at highway speeds. We just stopped. It was like hitting a brick wall at 150 miles per hour. Our bodies took an immense amount of force. Our story’s ‘top point’ was now over. An entirely new chapter – correction – a whole new book, began being written at that moment. The injuries sustained between the 5 of us covered the span of an entire body.
New Book of Life Looked So Different
We endured seemingly never ending days of surgeries, comas and hospital stays. Our younger kids stayed with family for over a month while both their parents and 2 oldest brothers all fought for their lives and mental stability again. This new ‘book’ of our life looked so different from the old and polished cover we had just set up on the shelf. Yet somehow that old book had prepared us for all that was to come. We knew we could do hard things and we knew we could get through it together.
Our recoveries became a family affair. Our 8 year old daughter became the nurse – always filling up waters and bringing in fresh ice packs. Our 8 year old son gave suggestions of ways to distract from the pain. Our 13 year old son fulfilled the role as the ‘man of the house’. Trevor worked through hours of intensive therapies to regain the ability to walk. Cameron crutched around and worked hard to get back to being the athlete he’d always been. I adapted to only using one arm while my other healed. Owen followed doctors orders and minimized brain stimulation and did every therapy recommended. We all learned how to deal with PTSD.
We Both Knew We Wanted to Help Others
As we started seeking resources we quickly realized there was little to none out there. Trevor and I had both wanted to do something positive with all of this. We both felt a strong urge to do so – within 72 hours of the accident – in the midst of not knowing if we would live. We both knew (separately) that we wanted to help others somehow. Trevor had looked down at his wrist band while laying in the hospital bed awaiting another surgery. But it didn’t say his name. Instead were the words, “Trauma, Sandal Blue”.
A year after our accident we officially formed and licensed a non-profit titled (you guessed it) Sandal Blue Foundation. We are a solution-focused organization and help other accident survivors and their families through care packages, aid once they’re home, resources, and most importantly connection. Owen frequently visits other brain injury patients at the Children’s Hospital and we have been lucky enough to be at the bedside of many patients and families through some of their hardest moments. Sharing in raw and vulnerable times together and being there when they could have felt so alone. I am now a professional inspirational speaker and we love to spread hope and light and remind all those that are starting a new book that they are not alone and that they can do amazing things!
For more information on Sandal Blue Foundation please visit: Sandal Blue Foundation.
This article is also featured in our 2023 Fall Issue of Sharing our Recovery.
