 |
 |
| |||
| NEXT SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE ACADEMIC PAPER AWARDS: 05.01.06 |
 |
Council Corner |
 | ||
| But play it safe While you should remember to have fun, don't forget to play it safe--wear your seat belt and look out for the other driver. Student Council member Anya Rasulova shares her harrowing experience.
But it was not my time to fly... January 28, 2006, is the day that changed my life. An SUV car crashed into our car while I was riding with my friends. It was the third day of classes of our spring semester, and I returned from my winter break in my home country Uzbekistan. I remember this big car crashing into us and squeezing my ribs, I blacked out . . . when I woke up, my face was bleeding, my left arm was stuck in something, and I could not breathe. I felt pieces of glass inside of my eyelids. I don't remember much; most of it is a blur. I remember being lifted up. I remember all the pain and fear. I remember being shaken in the ambulance and how painful every breath was. I remember being cold. I remember being carried somewhere, moved around from bed to bed, x-ray to x-ray, room to room. I remember the rush, the panic of people around and I remember hearing someone say, "She might not make it; we might lose her." I remember being on some bed, thousands of doctors and nurses rotating around me, I kept hearing voices--then I felt countless number of needless, an oxygen mask, people doing weird things to my body and screaming, "Anya, talk to us, we have to have you conscious, Anya." I spent two weeks in the hospital, mostly in the Emergency Room. I do not remember much of those two weeks due to all the medication and trauma. I had to learn how to walk again, how to take baby steps. I had to re-learn how to brush my teeth, walk up the stairs, and do other basic needs. I had never broken a bone in my life. I now had a brain concussion, a displaced and broken finger, broken ribs, fractured hips, a broken backbone, a broken face and head bone, a damaged liver and a scar over my face. It was very difficult to come back to campus after three weeks, mostly emotionally because I have learned how to deal with pain. I had to take a reduced course load, drop my extracurricular activities and jobs, and I still have a long way to go to catch up. However, the administration at Brown has been very supportive: not only did our Student Life Deans visit me in the hospital, but they talked to my professors and took care of necessary arrangements. I doubted myself whether I was emotionally and physically able to continue this semester. However, I have been welcomed with much support and flexibility from the administration, professors, and my friends. Some deadlines have been accommodated for me, professors are willing to dedicate their personal time to work with me, and the deans are very supportive of the decisions that I make. Even though I still have a long way to go, I am very happy that I returned to Brown University to continue the semester and start getting my life back to normal. I wanted to share my story with everyone. There are 40,000 deaths from car accidents alone in the U.S. annually. I always thought that car accidents happened to other people and not to me. The fact that I was wearing a seat belt saved my life and prevented a non- reversible head injury. This event will always be fresh in my memory. However, it has taught me that it is so important to enjoy every moment of your life, to share joy and happiness with your loved ones, and of course, always wear seatbelts. |
 |
| |
 |
| ||||||
| |||||||