Patient Success Stories

Samantha's Story

In a blink of an eye a pick-up truck ran a red light and hit my car.

It was Aug. 25, 2007 and I don’t remember much about the wreck. I was working as a grade-school teacher and my world was focused on my 11-month old toddler.

I ended up at a local ICU with 11 staples in my head, a fractured pelvis and a bruised lung. The doctor gave me a 2% chance of returning to normal... the odds were against me.

After 13 days in the ICU and on my first day at Select Specialty, I came out of a coma. It was only for a short time then I would sleep again.

My husband, Marty, says I progressed at an amazing rate and each day he could see me coming back to him. The doctor told him to have patience with my condition as it wasn’t like a broken bone – my brain was broken. I had to learn to walk, talk and swallow. Because swallowing is something you naturally take for granted, it is really hard to learn.

Nearly a year later I’ve returned to work as a 6th grade math teacher. I was so happy to get back to the classroom. I tell my students, “You can set your mind to accomplish your goals.” My goal was to be that 2%.