To say that these two incidents that happened so close together was an eye opener is an understatement. Two young people in their prime now face a long road that neither of them may fully recover from. It really opened my eyes to just how fragile life is and how it could happen to anyone.
I had just come home from work when my mother informed me that Leighann, the daughter of a close family friend, was just involved in a terrible car accident and that she was now in surgery. Leighann had lost control of her car and it had rolled a few times before finally coming to rest on the side of the road. As a result of the accident she suffered severe brain injuries, facial fractures, and a lacerated spleen but she survived that crucial first night and we began to have a glimmer of hope for her recovery. Her family, who was obviously concerned about her quality of life due to the extent of the injuries, voiced these concerns to the doctors. But all the doctors said that if they didn’t think that she had a fighting chance they wouldn’t be taking the measures that they were to save her. Last week there was a breakthrough for Leighann, she was actually able to follow some simple instructions such as, giving them the “thumbs up,” squeezing the hand of a nurse, and so on. Unfortunately, later that same week, doctors discovered an aneurysm in her brain and immediately rushed her into surgery. Prior to the surgery, the doctors gave her a 25% chance of survival and we began to fear the worst. But, despite the odds, Leighann pulled through. Again it seemed like she would recover quickly but two days later she suffered a small stroke. Fortunately it occurred in the area of the brain where the damage from the accident happened, which meant that there was no new damage to worry about. Currently Leighann is still in intensive care and is showing signs of improvement but, she still has a very long way to go.
The day before I moved into my dorm for orientation week I got a phone call from a friend of mine from high school. Fifteen minutes prior Matt Hodge, another one of my friends from high school, was involved in an accident with a train. The train had clipped the back of his car and rolled it several times. At first all indications seemed to be good and the first day everyone was confident that he would be back on his feet soon. The next day, as I was about half-way to where I currently attend college, my friend who had informed me of Matt’s accident the day before called with an update. When I heard his tone of voice I knew right then it wasn’t good. I was told that Matt had about a 1% chance of survival due to severe brain injuries; similar to what Leighann had sustained. But unlike Leighann, his injuries occurred in the brain stem, which makes survival less likely and a full recovery with full capabilities even less so. All day while I was moving in I was expecting and dreading the call telling me that Matt had passed. But despite the tremendous odds against him, Matt made it and is very slowly improving.
What struck me was that two similar accidents happened to two people that I knew in a very short span of time. Leighann, a nursing student, who was almost ready to graduate and Matt had just started his senior year of high school. Both were about to start new chapters in their lives and now even this is in question.
I took from these two events a lesson, “Take advantage of every opportunity that is given to you.” Even though I’ve heard that same line for years from I don’t know how many people, it had never really sunk in until then. I am starting on a new chapter of my life; the path I create here in college will pave the way for who I will become in the future. It’s unfortunate that it takes events like this to make one realize just how much he or she has going for them and how little time they really have. Every day I see people who go about living their lives taking for granted that they will be around to see the next sunrise and think, “Oh it’s not going to happen to me” or my personal favorite, “I’ve been driving for years” and “I know what I’m doing.” I say to those people now, “Never take life or anything for granted, you have one shot in this life. Don’t screw it up.”
Two people who I’ve known for years, both bright, outgoing, and caring people now face an uncertain future. Both are recovering but it will be a long, long process before doctors will be able to tell exactly how much permanent damage was done. The hope is that the both of them will be able to live happy and productive lives but only time will tell. For any and everyone who reads this, please, don’t take anything for granted and live every day like it was your last.
By Adam Wilck
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I appreciate that you were able to step back from these two events and see what they mean in terms of the bigger picture. Be sure to use names (even if they have to be fake names) and dates for the sake of clarity. I'm getting confused about when things happened in relation to each other.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your thesis is a bit obvious (even cliched) at this point. Try to think of ways you can make it less obvious and more debatable. After you do this, you can also make it more clear in your introduction where you're going with your post--because it's not entirely clear as it stands now. Remember what we said about implied thesis statements and hinting at your thesis.
Dr. McCaffrey
I definatly admire your approach, and i like your sentence structures. I like how you started the paper by building up suspense.
ReplyDeleteDon't be afraid to use details.
By: Haley Jones
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWorking: I like the main point and think you are headed in the right direction on how life is fragile. Your point really comes across through personal experience and your last paragraph which is good.
ReplyDeleteSuggestions: I think you should add the date these occured so as a reader we can picture it in our mind. Also introduce the people as friend 1 or friend 2 or a name, something we can associate with them as we are reading.
By Blake Allen
Thesis: Life is fragile, don’t take it for granted.
ReplyDeleteThis is about how two tragic accidents with similar outcomes has led to a change in how I see the world as a whole.
Reasons:
Two people who I’ve known for a long time were both involved in similar accidents, both received similar injuries, and both of their futures are in question. Matt, the young man that was injured is someone who I have known for the last five years, I had marched with him in high school band before I graduated and he used to live just up the street from me. When you’re in an organization like marching band one develops a close bond with everyone involved and eventually you get to the point where it’s like your second family. And when something like this happens it’s like your little brother or sister is lying there.
Leighanne, the young woman who was injured, is the daughter of a very close family friend that both of my parents have known since they were in middle school. She is a very bright and caring person who is almost ready to graduate with a degree in nursing. I will admit that I didn’t know her as well as I know Matt because I live in Tennessee, and she and her family live in upstate New York where my parents are from and we only get to see them when we go up to see family. But it still has an effect on you when someone you know, even if you don’t know them well, has an accident they may or may not recover fully from, or at all.