Help for Robie
Donation protected
On Tuesday, March 29, my sister Robie was hit head on by a distracted or distressed driver who totalled her car and sent her to the hospital in an ambulance. I can’t tell you how hurt and angry I was when I saw her in the trauma center with a neck brace lying flat on her back, multiple injuries then unknown. I cried. It wasn’t her fault. And her husband and children are devastated!
After many x-rays we found that Robie had multiple fractures to her ribs, both hands with crushed fingers, fractured knee caps and foot, and a broken leg. Thank GOD He protected her face while she kissed the air bags that exploded. I left her husband Howard in the trauma center knowing that this would be a long haul recovery for her.
Family members came and went making sure that she was as comfortable as possible and getting what she needed. Each day when I came to visit I could tell that Robie was trying to be upbeat about her condition, though she knew that she was facing several very painful surgeries which could not be performed yet because of the amount of swelling in her body.
Robie’s first surgeries happened a week into her stay in the hospital. The doctors operated on her hands and one leg for five hours, leaving multiple pins and metal plates inside to keep everything together. She woke up in great pain and delirium. It took hours to calm her pain while Howard stayed with her giving her comfort. He wouldn't leave her side.
It took a week for the pain from the first surgeries to finally calm down, and we won’t really know how successful they were until all the bandages come off and she has full movement in her hands and leg. But the doctors are very optimistic; they went right into the physical therapy.
In the meantime, Robie was having a heck of a time waiting for the swelling to go down on the other leg so the doctors could do that surgery. The screws in her leg were down into her bones keeping them together from her thigh to her ankle braced by a heavy iron flanking the doctor jokingly called an erector set built to keep her bones together. She couldn’t move herself in the bed and had to be turned or repositioned every couple hours with each movement causing extreme pain.
It was April 7th, two weeks into Robie’s recovery before the doctor felt comfortable enough to do the surgery on the leg. What we called the big surgery! Her daughter Tiffany was there by then. She flew in from California to be with her mom while she was healing and waiting for this next surgery. No matter how much work she was missing you couldn’t keep a daughter away from her mother in a situation like this!
This last surgery took about three hours and Robie recovered without hallucinations this time. But we dont know how the leg will heal, or if she will have a full recovery from all this...of course we all prayed up a storm...and we’re optimistic, but we do know she’s going to need lots of care over several months. It’s possible she will need a wheel chair, and a number of other items that may or may not be covered by her insurance. The car will need to be replaced and may even need wheel chair accessibility.
We know that no fault insurance pays a great deal of expenses for the victim, but no one pays for the lost living expenses of the spouse and family members who have to take care of the injured person; as well as a number of related expenses such as air travel and car rentals.
Many of our friends and family have asked how they can help, and although we can’t thank you enough for your many prayers, the family will need money to ease the stress and anxiety of the loss of wages and added expenses that they will incur. Thank you in advance for any amount you donate no matter how small, and I will keep you updated on Robie’s progress.
After many x-rays we found that Robie had multiple fractures to her ribs, both hands with crushed fingers, fractured knee caps and foot, and a broken leg. Thank GOD He protected her face while she kissed the air bags that exploded. I left her husband Howard in the trauma center knowing that this would be a long haul recovery for her.
Family members came and went making sure that she was as comfortable as possible and getting what she needed. Each day when I came to visit I could tell that Robie was trying to be upbeat about her condition, though she knew that she was facing several very painful surgeries which could not be performed yet because of the amount of swelling in her body.
Robie’s first surgeries happened a week into her stay in the hospital. The doctors operated on her hands and one leg for five hours, leaving multiple pins and metal plates inside to keep everything together. She woke up in great pain and delirium. It took hours to calm her pain while Howard stayed with her giving her comfort. He wouldn't leave her side.
It took a week for the pain from the first surgeries to finally calm down, and we won’t really know how successful they were until all the bandages come off and she has full movement in her hands and leg. But the doctors are very optimistic; they went right into the physical therapy.
In the meantime, Robie was having a heck of a time waiting for the swelling to go down on the other leg so the doctors could do that surgery. The screws in her leg were down into her bones keeping them together from her thigh to her ankle braced by a heavy iron flanking the doctor jokingly called an erector set built to keep her bones together. She couldn’t move herself in the bed and had to be turned or repositioned every couple hours with each movement causing extreme pain.
It was April 7th, two weeks into Robie’s recovery before the doctor felt comfortable enough to do the surgery on the leg. What we called the big surgery! Her daughter Tiffany was there by then. She flew in from California to be with her mom while she was healing and waiting for this next surgery. No matter how much work she was missing you couldn’t keep a daughter away from her mother in a situation like this!
This last surgery took about three hours and Robie recovered without hallucinations this time. But we dont know how the leg will heal, or if she will have a full recovery from all this...of course we all prayed up a storm...and we’re optimistic, but we do know she’s going to need lots of care over several months. It’s possible she will need a wheel chair, and a number of other items that may or may not be covered by her insurance. The car will need to be replaced and may even need wheel chair accessibility.
We know that no fault insurance pays a great deal of expenses for the victim, but no one pays for the lost living expenses of the spouse and family members who have to take care of the injured person; as well as a number of related expenses such as air travel and car rentals.
Many of our friends and family have asked how they can help, and although we can’t thank you enough for your many prayers, the family will need money to ease the stress and anxiety of the loss of wages and added expenses that they will incur. Thank you in advance for any amount you donate no matter how small, and I will keep you updated on Robie’s progress.
Organizer and beneficiary
Vicki Williams
Organizer
Farmington Hills, MI
Robie Smith
Beneficiary