SPEAKING FROM STRENGTH
In the summer of 1991 after graduating high school with top marks, Samantha Michael was about to attend frosh week at McMaster University for her Bachelor of Science degree. At the time, her ultimate goal was to enter the University’s medical school and become a Doctor. She was excited about exploring this new city and hopeful for the future.
Before heading off to University Samantha went to spend time with friends at a new friends cottage near Toronto. The girls decided the first night to go out drinking at a bar, and the host of the get-together told them that her 21 year old sister would come drive them home later that night. At the end of the evening they met up with this sister in another area of the bar where she was with her own friends but unfortunately no one checked her ability to drive since some of the girls were too inebriated themselves to even care.
That night the woman driving the car missed a turn in the road and smashed into a tree. Samantha was pushed against the window by the girl that sat beside her. As a result her head got crushed into the glass and the tree. She was unconscious and quickly flown by helicopter to a Toronto hospital.
Samantha had multiple facial and skull fractures and a very large jagged wound on her cheek. Doctors spent hours removing the numerous glass fragments. Although she was unconscious for some time, she gradually started to recover. Because she had a head injury, numerous physical, psychological and cognitive problems needed to be addressed by professionals, therefore she still required ongoing rehabilitation after discharge from the acute care hospital. At this point no one could foresee the length of time for the recovery.
Through support from family members, her inner strength, great professionals and years of hard work she was able to rebuild a life. She will always have permanent reminders of the damage done to her body from that accident. Camouflaging her facial scar although challenging for a woman who used to model as a teenager is only a small external reminder of the many deficits that remain.
Samantha feels that this accident in 1991 was totally preventable and it occurred because a number of people made irresponsible choices, herself included. With An Aid to Help Foundation Samantha hopes to prevent other individuals and families from such a traumatic experience. She wants to provide encouragement and resources to educators, students, parents and families on ways to learn or teach others to make responsible choices in life.
To learn more about how this Canadian Federal Non-Profit Corporation is for Samantha herself, a tribute to the late Princess of Wales whom she met while in a children's rehabilitation hospital in Toronto, Canada after her injury, please look for the link on the About this Non-Profit page.
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