The Impact…… the sound of screeching tires, the sound of the ambulance on it’s way, the sound of the voices on the other end of the phone when they share their stories, the words in each email I sort through. 
Emails of people’s suffering, emails sharing stories of the loss of loved one, emails from people that donate graciously because they want their loved one’s to be remembered.
COFR has opened up to me an entirely new world to me, one that is difficult putting into words, this time, I am sharing Donna’s words with you, from a day that changed her life.
I was struck by an 84 year who turned left into me while I was in Florida. I spent 2 months in the hospital then I was able to come home, I was still on oxygen and have had a total of 14 months of in home care.
I lost my left leg and have very little left of a stump. I suffered congestive heart failure, required total resuscitation and 18 pints of blood in the first 48 hours. A pulmonary embolism, severely fracture right humerus resulting in radial nerve damage. My hand was paralyzed and only thanks to God and therapy I have use of it but still have pain and my fingers are badly crooked.
When they pulled my respirator I suffered a laryngeal spasm which resulted in a bedside trach before they rushed me to the OR to put in a #8 trach. I was speechless for 4 mos and it took 4 surgeries before I got the trach out and could talk. I couldn’t even scream for help when i was in pain. I had to write everything down with my left hand and I’m right handed.
I am learning to walk with a C-Leg now. I was left with $180,000 in medical bills from what my health insurance, bike insurance and the at fault drivers insurance is paying. I don’t get one penny for what I went through because of a careless driver. I can’t even afford to by a motorcycle anymore because now I can only ride a trike and they are a small fortune.
I had a 900 credit score prior to this accident and now my credit is ruined. I was wearing a full face helmet but still suffered moderate brain injury which has been very difficult coping with. My heart goes out to all bikers who have been maimed and murdered by careless automobile drivers. I am 47 now and my life is a daily struggle but I am making it. For those out there like me keep fighting and never give up.
Love Donna Marie
Donna hopes her story can help change the driving habits of one person so that they become aware of motorcycles and save one person from the suffering she has undergone.
I am so happy there is an organization like this. My husband almost died several times after a devastating motorcycle accident last July. He spent 6 months and 3 days in a critical care unit and 2 months in inpatient rehab before finally coming home with the help of home health care and a hemodialysis clinic. My husband was 40 years old with NO health problems when he had his accident. He is now wheelchair bound while he tries to relearn to walk in therapy two days a week. We have 3 beautiful children ages 6, 4, and 2. They know how lucky they are to still have their Daddy. I don’t ever let my husband forget how lucky he is to be here for our babies. He struggles from PTSD from time in the military and now from his terrible hospital course. It is so easy to think about the bad things in our lives people don’t stop to realize all the good surrounding them every single day. I have always been a very positive person as a result of devastating struggles in my own life as a child. If I had not been able to see the good in all the bad I would not be sitting here right now. I have tried over and over to get my husband viewing things the same way and he tries real hard everyday to see that he is a true miracle. God wanted him here for a special purpose that only God knows. I am truly blessed to be in the life of such a special person. Since I spent 6 months sleeping in a lounge with so many families sharing my situation and several of them were not as lucky as us I have even more how each and every day is a gift and we have to cherish every single moment.