This is Shauna McNab’s story and she is RESILIENT.
CONTENT WARNING: The I Am Resilient Project provides an open space for people to share their personal experiences. Some content in this post and on this website will include topics that you may find difficult.
Describe the situation where you had to be resilient:
I was in a car accident that almost killed me. The possibility existed that I could have lost my ability to walk or even function normally. With therapy and determination, I pulled through now I’m able to turn tragedy into triumph.
Shauna’s Story:
On the night of the accident, I was on my way to work. The driver wanted to get some food from a burger joint and decided to stop, the passenger in the front and the one sitting beside was asleep. The driver made a careless decision to dash across the busy road with hopes of making it, at that moment everything in me was alert because I could immediately see that his plan was flawed.
As he stepped on the gas, I screamed stop!!! But it was too late, the oncoming car crashed directly in my door, pinning me from the impact.
I felt scared, to say the least. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it because I remember vividly the pain I felt in my head, I remember blacking out and somebody kept jerking me to stay awake. I remember seeing flashes of the other passengers standing on the side of the road unscathed, I remember seeing the ambulance and I remember being able to move my body.
I had to be cut from the car. The first responders used a board to pull me from the wreck and rushed me to the hospital. I lost consciousness, but through it all, I kept asking for more time. I was thinking about my son, my husband, my family and just the fact that I needed more time with them.
I spent a little time in the hospital then I was released. I remember being broke and needed to figure things out and the owner of the vehicle did not want to accept accountability for the accident nor the passengers affected. I decided to go ahead and seek legal counsel.
I was able, through that process, to access therapy to help with my mobility, pain management and I had to see a chiropractor three times per week. The fight was tough but I persevered. I felt motivated because I got over my fear to stand up for myself.
I can say now that I am fearless because everything I ever wanted to pursue in life I’m doing.
How did you practice resilience when faced with this challenge?
I practice resilience by always remembering who I am and staying true to myself. I don’t feed my fears, instead, I always look for the silver lining. By stepping out on faith I am able to motivate others with my story.
Please share one piece of advice for people who are going through a similar challenge
Never let anybody bully you. You are enough.
Are you ready to share your story of RESILIENCE? You can do that HERE.
