Hi, my name is Hazel Predpelski.

On February 5th, I was driving home from school when I was involved in a major car accident. I was on a busy highway and don’t remember exactly what happened. Everything happened so fast, and the shock and trauma made it a blur. From what I was told by the highway patrol and witnesses, I was not speeding or driving erratically.

I ended up hitting the cement median, flipping, and rolling about 50 yards upside down. My airbag never went off, but I was wearing my seatbelt. The last thing I remember is waking up to a firefighter trying to wake me up. I was in complete shock, covered in blood, and had no idea what had happened. I was rushed to the hospital, where my family was contacted.

That’s when I learned my jaw was broken in three places and completely detached. I had surgery the next day, February 6th, which took about three and a half hours. I spent four days in the ICU, and that is when everything really started to sink in.

My mom and grandmother flew in from Hawaii as soon as they could to help me through this. I am currently staying in an Airbnb with them while I try to heal as much as possible before they have to leave.

Right now, I am on a liquid and wet food diet and will not be able to eat anything I can chew for six to eight weeks. My teeth are not fully aligned, I cannot talk normally, and when I try it causes a lot of pain. I was so excited to start school again to become a teacher, but I had to drop all of my classes. I am also unable to work for at least six weeks as my doctors advised.

Today, I saw my car for the first time since the accident. It’s completely totaled and I had to sign it over to the tow yard. That was incredibly hard for me.

I know that in time I will heal, and I am beyond grateful to be alive. I truly believe my guardian angels were watching over me, because this could have been so much worse. If you are able to help in any way, whether by donating or sharing, it would mean more to me than I can express.

Thank you so much for the love, support, and kindness.

Much love ❤️

Hazel