The morning of the day in 2010 that everything changed, my life was on track. I was on my way to getting a law degree and in a happy marriage. I adored my stepson, James, and my husband and I wanted another baby. I was driving on the Monash Freeway when I saw the trees in the median strip shaking wildly. The last thing I remember was seeing the front of a truck. A semi-trailer jackknifed across the median strip on the freeway, crushing my car, trapping me inside.
Everything went black. I was in agonising pain, pinned under the steering wheel with the roof crushed around my head for what seemed like eternity. I recall hearing voices and crying “Help me”. Someone asked for my next of kin. I thought they were coming to say goodbye before I died. I later learned that when emergency services saw the smash they thought they’d be retrieving a body. They considered amputating my arm right there on the freeway.
I remember the moment air and light rushed in when they finally cut the roof off. I thought “I might actually survive this.” After three hours I was prised free of the metal carnage and flown to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital for urgent care.
My injuries were vast and varied. Bleeding on the brain, a broken collarbone, fractured shoulder, severed tendons, broken hand, bulging discs and a haematoma in my leg. I needed multiple surgeries. And that’s just the physical injuries. The psychological harm was severe. I became anxious and fearful and experienced vivid, terrifying flashbacks.
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av The Australian Women's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Hitting a nerve
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Take me to the river
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The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
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The wines and lines mums
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Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
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A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
