Lacey Andersen’s Road to Recovery
There is never a right time for tragedy to strike. Yet if there was a “better” time this would be it. Literally a week before my sister’s sudden car accident she had just passed her insurance agent exam and I will never forget the smile on her face. Her future was now set and the plan seemed fool proof. I know they say no one has a perfect life but my sister had found her other half in Chris. After 11 years of living in Missouri she finally found the perfect safe haven by moving to Golden City. From her two amazing girls starting cheer and loving their new school/community to simply finding her piece of happiness in the world. I would say she was pretty close to living her dream. Then Life threw a lemon...
She wasn’t prepared for the ice on the railroad tracks as she traveled to pick up her girls before the super bowl. The truck was immediately launched to the other side of the road. It then fish tailed into the ditch and flipped over, which is where she sustained the majority of her injuries. This is when she was ejected out the windshield. Within minutes there was a large group of people there to cover her in warm blankets, helping to hold her neck up, holding her hand, and praying with her while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Her life flashed before her eyes and she remembers trying to get up but couldn’t, no matter how hard she tried. Those two things alone make this the most terrifying day of my sisters life.
Unfortunately no one can be prepared for a major accident or tragedy. Lacey has sustained critical injuries. The minor injury for her is five broken ribs. The rest all come with some serious complications and we don’t have complete answers back yet on how bad everything is because they are waiting for swelling to go down and some healing needs done first. This is what we know. She has three chipped vertebrae‘s but One vertebrae is completely shattered. Her kidney had a large tear and her spleen had nearly been cut in half. The kidney is healing rather nicely and internal bleeding finally stopped two days ago. The spleen is something that she has to be very careful of because as she’s regaining her strength and becoming more mobile any wrong move could send her immediately into surgery. The unknown is the scariest part.
If you have been following this throughout the week you know healing never happens over night and just when you think everything is gonna be okay it becomes unsure. Luckily she has all of us. From her boyfriend and I at her bedside to anyone who has said a prayer or reached out to let us know you care, Lacey is blessed. God granting her the miracle of life when she could have died, will never be lost on us. The ICU at Mercy in Joplin has been amazing. I know the financial burden of a hospital stay/future medical needs, plus the uncertainty of when she’s going to be able to get back to normal life is another mountain to climb. So I setup this go fund me because many people have reached out wondering how they can help or if they can send flowers. Any thing helps even if that is simply sending positive vibes or bowing your head in prayer. Lacey will take this lemon, add water and a little sugar. Then Walla, soon we will be drinking lemonade laughing instead of crying, in awe of her tenacity and strength. I will keep this page updated on her road to recovery because it will be nothing short of inspirational. #laceystrong
