Arlene Garcia, CareGiver

Hopi Nation, Arizona

Arlene Garcia

My daughter Angela and I, and my mother, were in Flagstaff, trying to get some platters and things for Angela. On our way into town, into Flagstaff, we were coming to a stop sign where the lights were. And people were lined up all the way to one of the stores, and we were just cruising along very slowly, and then all of a sudden, there was a pickup that pulled out between the parked cars, and just swerved out. All I saw was this man in the green pickup, and just hit us head on, and that was it.

When I was aware of what what happening, I looked at my mother, she was sitting in the passenger seat, and my daugher was driving, and I was sitting in the back seat. I looked at my mother and she didn't have her eyes open, and she was slumped in the corner of the seat. She was unconscious, or she didn't respond to me. Right then, the fireman came and started taking care of things -- it just happened so fast. But as a result of the accident, she broke her neck and her spinal chord was injured. It was crushed; the spinal chord between 4 and 5 vertabrae was crushed, so that left her permanently paralyzed from the chest on down. And since then, we've been taking care of her.

Yes, it was a big shock, I mean, my mother was so healthy, strong, vibrant, always doing something, always working for other people, so I was afraid that she would no longer be as productive as she was at that time. And my brother is a lab technician, my sister is a nursing assistant at the hospital, my cousins are all in the nursing field, and I was the only one who was not in the nursing field. And so it was more of a shock to me; I really thought I was going to lose my mother.

All the others took it calmly and said it was going to be ok, but I was the one who was in shock, I didn't really know the results of her injuries, I was in total shock. But they knew -- my brother and sister and the rest of my family -- they knew what was expected. It was like I was left without a mother. My mother and I are very close. Before this accident, her and I would walk at least 2 miles a day. Early in the morning, about 4 o'clock in the morning, my mother and I would be out walking, around this country, this area here. And it just shocked me that she could no longer walk. I still had a lot of hopes, I still have a lot of hopes, I'm hoping that someday she'll be able to walk. I just always remain positive. Every little improvement in her health, makes me think that she will be walking.

Next: Something had to be done ...