A JOE reader has decided to share her story so people will never go through the pain she has suffered.
When Gráinne Kealy was just 22-years-old, something happened that would impact the rest of her life.
When she was travelling through Borris-in-Ossory in County Laois with her boyfriend, on 16 December 2006, the jeep in which Gráinne was a passenger skidded on some black ice and hit a wall.
While her boyfriend escaped with just minor injuries, Gráinne would go through years of suffering and various surgeries because of one crucial details - her feet were on the dashboard at the time of the crash.
"I had decided along the way that I would be more comfortable if my feet were on the dashboard," she says.
"It was something I rarely did and only did that morning as I had bought a new pair of Ugg boots and knew that I wouldn't dirty the dashboard.
"Silly when you think about it! By doing this my feet were placed directly on top of the airbag. When the jeep collided with the wall the airbags inflated, as they do, but because my feet were on top of my airbag it actually pushed my feet, knees first, into my face."
Faster than the blink of an eye
Gráinne explains just how badly she was hurt.
"The airbag system ignites a solid propellant, which burns extremely rapidly to create a large volume of gas to inflate the bag. The bag then literally bursts from its storage site at up to 200 mph (322 kph) - faster than the blink of an eye. A second later, the gas quickly dissipates through tiny holes in the bag, thus deflating the bag so you can move. So there you go...now you get it. I kneed myself in the face at 200mph! Sounds a lot worse now doesn't it.
Her mother was told that Gráinne had broken every bone in her face, had "a CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid) leak from my brain and, oh yeah, I lost two teeth."
"I had to have my forehead removed"
"I was eventually moved to Beaumont Hospital under the care of my Neurosurgeon and the Max Fax (Maxillofacial) team.
"They told me that I had pushed in and up my face and they would have to basically pull it all out and put it back together!
"In 2007 I experienced a setback and had to have my forehead removed. Yes, my forehead! And yes, all of it!
"I lived without my forehead for two years until the 17th of June 2009 when I got my brand new Italian ceramic forehead. I'm sure most of you reading this are a little puzzled by this, I know I was when they told me. I had nothing in place of my forehead for two years. My head sunk in and I looked a little strange. But thanks to the amazing work done by the great surgeons in Beaumont Hospital you would never know it was fake."
She explains how, at 33, she is still recovering from Acquired Brain Injury and has decided to tell her story so people don't go through the hell she has endured.
"I have no memory of the accident, the three months leading up to it or the month following it. I have a few little memories from my time in Beaumont but not much. One of my first memories is looking in the mirror for the first time. I didn't recognize the face looking back at me. That is one of the worse memories I have and one that I hope with all my heart not many people will ever have to go through."
Gráinne is anxious that nobody else will have to go through what she and her family and friends have endured as the result of one careless moment.
"I would hate for another person's family to have to get that dreaded phone call as mine did," she insists.
"I have always said to my Mother, 'I got the pain but they got the memories'. I see passengers with their feet on the dashboard a lot of the time and it breaks my heart. I'm hoping you will pass on this message / warning to everyone you know and hopefully people will understand how dangerous it is."
If you have any stories you would like to share with JOE, drop us a message on our Facebook page or email us at Editorial@JOE.ie.
