My Journey: Anoxic Brain Injury Survivor

Caroline • Livin lovin life 🤙🏻

This January I was leaving work to go to my friend’s house. After we hung out with the gang, my friend Jake and I got into my car to go home. Unfortunately, the car was turned on the whole night, backed up into a snow bank, and my friend who’s apartment complex we were at, didn’t find the both of us until 1 pm the next day. Sadly, Jake had passed away because someone slipped him fentanyl. It’s upsetting because he was one of my best friends, we worked together, and even carpooled to EMU together. I had gone into a coma with carbon monoxide poisoning and, after I got out of the coma, was taken to Select Specialty Care at St. Joe’s Mercy Hospital. These photos are pretty disturbing. So please, if you get easily disturbed, I suggest you don’t look at them. In a few of the photos you’ll notice my hands in a close up, close to the chest position. I didn’t get them out of the tightness until I was transferred to the rehab unit where I learned how to walk again. I was in the hospital for three, almost four months. I am still going to outpatient therapy as of today too. The support from all the staff there was unimaginable. I had a peg site and a trachea but in. But I show those off proudly as my battle scars. 💪🏻 So blessed to be here today. 🙏🏼

R.I.P. Jake Jessie 🙏🏼