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The Day My Life Changed!
It was turning out to be a great Fourth of July weekend. I was having a great time camping. Spending quality time with family members that I don’t get to see as often as I would like too. I was looking forward to the rest of the weekend as I went to bed July 1st. I awoke on Saturday feeling ready for the day ahead. I went out on a four-wheeler and my niece Kourtney followed behind with her Four Wheeler. It had been the first time I have ever drove a four wheeler so my niece was showing me the basics of what I needed to do. We were having a great time riding up and down trails.
We went back to camp about 40 minutes after and I decided I needed a nap I was feeling exhausted. So I went to take a nap in the tent. I woke up a couple hours later. I sat and talked with my sister for a while when my other two nieces Kelsee and Katrina rode up on four wheelers just covered in mud. The looked like they were having a great time. I asked where they went riding and they said we found this great trail. Kelsee said come on and we will take ya. So I put some sun block on and found my sunglasses.
I started following Kelsee and Katrina towards this awesome trail I was so excited to go through. Kelsee’s cousin Derek and his girlfriend followed behind me as we headed up this mountain. The rocks were scary a bit I wasn’t familiar with all an ATV could handle so I tried to miss the rocks that were in the way. As I passed the rocks I looked up to see this rock up at the top of this hill. So I approached slowly so I could maneuver around this rock. It wasn’t as easy as it looked it took me a few minutes trying to get around it. When I did finally break away from this rock the four wheeler shot me off the side of the mountain faster then I could blink. In a seconds thought I said to myself this is it. This is how I’m going to die. All I could think of is screaming as I saw nothing but air. In hopes they would be able to discover my body at the bottom of this 500 ft mountain. I don’t remember much of the fall. I do remember staying on the four-wheeler awhile before being ejected. I also remember hitting a lot of rocks on the way down and tree branches. When I finally came to a stop I was unconscious. When I woke up all I remember is this excruciating pain in my chest. I just started screaming in panic over and over. Kelsee and Katrina where at the top screaming Oh My God. I begged for them not to leave me.
Kelsee came down that mountain so fast she must have not been thinking of nothing but getting to me. When she got to me I told her I couldn’t breathe that I needed my inhaler so she yelled up to Katrina to come and stay with me. Katrina was in complete hysterics. She could not believe what was happening. When she made it down the mountain to me. I cried for help. Asking for my mother, telling her I couldn’t breathe. Kelsee went for help and to get my inhaler back at camp.
I later found out when Kelsee got back up the mountain she couldn’t get her four-wheeler started. So she started running down the trail. Which was difficult for her because she had injured her leg coming down the mountain to get to me. On her way down she ran into two people on an ATV. They where already on there way to my rescue.
Next thing I remember is JD My brother in law coming down next. I was so happy to see an adult. I looked at JD and said
JD I can’t feel my legs. He proceeded to raise his voice to me and Katrina telling us to keep it together. My screaming and panicking was not helping the situation at all. Minutes later a man and women came to me. Her name was Vicky she so happened to be a nurse. They began asking me a lot of questions about my injuries. Soon two other nurses showed up to help me. Then minutes later Kelsee came with my inhaler and I couldn’t even inhale the vapors my chest pain was excruciating. Next thing I remember is my sister Stacey coming down the mountain and comforting Katrina who was still in hysterics. Then I heard ATVs above me on the top of the mountain. And I hear this scream I will never forget, my sister Kim was screaming Oh My God is she okay.
Awhile passed by and more people started showing up. They began covering me with sleeping bags because my body was in shock and spraying me with insect repellent. Soon a few guys showed up one I will never forget was Bill. He stayed by me and comforted me every moment he was with me. Bill put oxygen on me and got the backboard ready. They tied a rope to the back of the backboard so people on top of the mountain could help ease me up. I heard from my sisters that they had to cut a trail so they could get me up on top of the mountain. I remember how excruciating it was with every step the rescuers took. Soon I was back up on top of the mountain where a four-wheeler was waiting to drive me down the mountain where life flight was awaiting. They tried driving me down on the four-wheeler but every bump nearly made me pass out from pain. So bill told all the rescuers that they were going to carry me down on foot. They stopped every few minutes to give me morphine and change oxygen tanks. Also to start another IV.
It seemed like 25 minutes later I was at the helicopter.
They took approximately 10 minutes to assess my injuries and get me loaded into the helicopter. In the helicopter during flight I was having very difficult time breathing so the life flight nurses tried to get a tube down my throat but wasn’t successful because of all the flem and stuff in my throat. So they just kept me on oxygen and continued to give me morphine. We arrived at the University of Utah 40 minutes later.
Before I could blink I was rushed into the emergency room where I was welcomed by numerous triage nurses doctors and specialists. They began cutting my clothes off to assess my injuries then they brought in the x-rays. And about 10 minutes later I was in CAT scan. I was finally allowed to see my mother and my boyfriend. I was so happy to see them both.
The doctor came in soon after and told me that my ribs on the right side where crushed that I had a bruised kidney and my shoulders right rotator cup was slipped.
They got me in a room within an hour of getting to the hospital. They kept my pain under control. They had to take blood every three hours so I didn’t get much rest. The next morning the neurosurgeon came in to tell me that my lung had collapsed and that I would need to stay in the hospital another night so they could take x-rays every 6 hours to see the lungs progress. The entire time my boyfriend not once left my sight. He was extremely care giving and patient and without him my recovery would be very difficult.
The next day on the 4th of July I was released from the hospital. And told to follow up with the doctor in exactly one week.
I went to my follow up appointment and was told I would possibly never regain the feeling in my back again. As of now my lung is still collapsed and my ribs still are excruciating.
My recovery will be slow. I’ll I know is that I am truly blessed to still be here on this earth with my family and friends and I owe my life to my family, the rescuers and all the volunteers that helped rescue me from that mountain.
They will forever have a big place in my heart.
Written by
Samantha Stone
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