Ace Says…
I had tears reading Amber’s story. The words of her sister, Ashley, were very touching that I just couldn’t hold myself from crying. I cried not because I felt sorry for what happened but for the journey that Amber took and faced when she got into a car accident 6 years ago. For me, life is not about the times that you fall down, the times you are too weak to be strong, the time you feel like you’re alone and the times when you’re world is falling apart.
Over the years, I have learned to appreciate and embrace that life is all about standing up after a fall, believing in yourself and leaning on others when you’re weak and that there’s no burden in life you can’t carry.
Moments in life happen for a reason.
Here’s Amber’s story in the words of her sister…
It has been almost 6 and a half years from the most devastating day of my family and I’s life. On August 27, 2005 my then 12-year-old sister was involved in a horrible car accident, which almost ended her life. She suffered severe head/brain trauma, went through surgery and was put into the Intensive Care Unit in a coma. Over the next few weeks her condition was constantly changing while she fought to live.
On September 15, 2005, after 19 of the longest days of my family’s life, Amber finally woke up from her coma. My sister smiled this day; lying in a hospital bed with a ventilator tube in, surrounded by machines, and lines of medication going into her, she smiled. It was powered by the love and support she was told everyone around her was showing her.
This day was just a step in her long bumpy road to recovery. Slowly she began to be able to breathe on her own, laugh, move her limbs, get through a serious blood clot, continued surgeries, and then began to eat, walk, and talk again (and more). After 3 months in the hospital, my little sister was finally able to come home.
That hadn’t marked the end of the road yet; many trips to the hospital and more surgeries ensued. Amber was able to go back to school full time, and was even cleared to get back on her favorite place, the volleyball court. We hit another roadblock in 2008 when my freshman sister began to have seizures. It was a hard time for a while, but once again she has overcome yet another challenge she faces everyday.
Now my sister is weeks away from being 19 years old, has graduated high school, and is now a volleyball player at Thomas More College. At 12 years old my sister had to relearn so many things over again, grow back her beautiful hair, recover from too many surgeries at that age, and temporary quit a sport that she had a compassion for. It has taken me this long to get the courage to reread through the Carepage blog and the messages everyone sent in support of my family.
It was the hardest time in our lives and its hard to relive, but I know without the love and support we received from family, friends from SMOY, MND, and McNick, medical staff, and even strangers we wouldn’t have been able to get through any of it. I just want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, without you all my family wouldn’t be where we are today 6 and a half years later.
I love my sister so very much and thank you all for pulling for her in her greatest time of need so she could come back to my family and I healthy.
Click HERE to see VIDEOS of Amber while in rehab at the Hospital.
I’d like to thank Amber for giving me the chance to share her story to the rest of the world.
Amber, you are one strong lady! I wish you the best!
Hugs,
Ace
(images: Amber Peters)
One Comment
Leave a ReplyOne Ping
Pingback: Morgan peters | Cateringforme