Title: I AM THE ONE

Gender: Female

Age: 39

Sun Sign: Leo

Chinese Sign: Earth Rooster

Location: Jonesboro, Georgia

Please come on this journey with me to read my beautiful story!
“EVERY MOMENT IS A CELEBRATION!”

That is what I do EVERYDAY I wake up, I celebrate!  On May 3, 2002 , I was in a horrible car accident.  I was driving alone.  All of a sudden, I was hit by a hit-and-run driver.  The impact was so hard, I was ejected out of the passenger’s window, going airborne over 50 ft!  I was told that I put my right arm in front of my head to break the fall, (instantly).  My arm was so broken that the doctors told me that I would NEVER have full use of my arm, again!( picture of me holding the pin).    I tell you,  “God Is Good!”  Almost a year ago, I got the pin taken out of my arm!  My arm is healed!  Soon, I will play basketball again and shoot pool!  Both are my special vices!

I was on life support for about 2 1/2 weeks.  I was able to come off of it because I had family and dear sweet friends to come and pray, talk and sing to me!  Two of my VERY best friends would come and see me.  Annetter E. Cleveland, who had breast cancer and Gregory E. McKinney, who has AIDS……….Annetter would come in and pray and Gregory would get in the bed with me and sing!  The thing that kept me so strong and focused after my accident was that I noticed that even though I know/knew that they were/are in a lot of pain……..I have NEVER heard them complain about the pain!  I have recently lost my best friend, Annetter, (over 20 years of friendship)  June11, 20059 ,(by the way Annetter was a Falcon cheerleader).     That is still pretty painful to me……………But, I know that

Annetter is in heaven smiling and telling me to go on and finish my job!   Keep fighting!

I am a 36 year old African American woman living with  a brain injury is challenging to the extreme power on some days!   I have over 5 years of college education.  I was in Who’s Who of America’s high school and college students.  I was VERY active in African American social/civic organizations.  WOW!  Things use to come so easily for me…….. I now stutter when I get excited.  My attention span is NOT as strong as it use to be.  Today, my doctor’s and partner, Janet ,  insists that I keep a journal with me at all times!  Speaking of Janet, she keeps me pumped up EVERYDAY!  She motivates me inspires me and pushes me to ALWAYS do better than the day before!  Janet is my inspiration.  I have to and MUST keep positive people in my life at ALL times!  I also MUST have people on my side

who has my best interest in heart.  People will use you, if  they know that you have a head injury.  Family and friends-I know from first hand knowledge.  My long term memory is alright-but, my short term memory needs a lot of work!  I had to learn my A, B, C’s all over again, how to tie my shoes, how to cook, etc…………..My brother, Eddie had to tell me that our grandfather was deceased.  “How, I asked him?”  “I just saw him!”  I did……..While I was on life support, my grandfather came to me and grabbed my hands.  He wanted me to come with him!  I gently let my hands go saying, “I had too much work to be done on Earth!”  I really could have gone with him, everything was so peaceful and surreal.  But, I had to come back and finish my work!  Speaking of my brother, Eddie…….He chooses NOT to talk about my car accident.  We are only 18 months apart……..So, we’re pretty close.  I am NOT sure if it’s a man thing or if it’s just that he almost lost me!  I do say that this is  NOT a tragedy no, no no, this is a triumph!  I AM VICTORIOUS!

It has been pretty hard trying to keep a job, because I don’t want to just live off of my SSI checks for the rest of my life.  I know that they are many of my brothers and sisters who are in my dire need than me.  So, I will continue to fight, get stronger and stay focused on why I have been given “A Second Chance!” 

I also consider myself to be, “The Ultimate Million Dollar Baby!”   Since my accident, my mother has made me sign papers after papers-she even gave me a fake ID number, “To help her.”   I had to go to the Sheriffs department in her county to press charges on her.  I also have written my, “dad,” for raping me, over and over and over   again!   I woke up a little before my accident, he was raping me!   He slipped something in my drink.  I wrote my family and shared with them, what I said to him and to please check out my little nieces and nephew.   My sisters Ashley, Tiffany and myself had NEVER had a chance to experience

our, “cherry” being burst.  I believe that he drugged all of us!  My mother wrote me back and said, “She knew that I had been molested!”  

Through it all, I must say that I NEVER-EVER had a  “pity party.”    Today, I have found out that there is  power in simplicity!  After my accident I enrolled in Bobby Dodd Institute, (a place for people with disabilities go to become employed), and Shepherd   Pathways, (a center for brain injured people-an out patient, day program).  I have met so many people, my age and younger who have brain injuries, had strokes, and who have been shot in the head.  Today, some are still surviving with the MOST beautiful outlooks on life, the MOST beautiful smiles

and the fighter attitude to, “Just keep going!”  That’s so exciting to me!  These are my people now.   I didn’t try and take the time to get to know a person with a noticeably disability-until my accident.  I am NO longer on any medication.  The

medicine I was on had me sleeping from 2:30 in the afternoon to 7 or 8 o’clock the next morning.  I am SO finished with sleeping my life away!  ………….”I don’t  debate my situation-I hold on to my revelation!……. I have dedicated and made a proclamation to help and to always serve as an advocate for people with disabilities!  I came out of my accident with only a broken arm and a brain injury……I can and will begin to talk, walk, shout, sing and dance for our equality!  ” I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT TOMORROW; TODAY IS BEAUTIFUL!”

 Recently, I have begun to work with, Mr. Rocky Twyman of  Rockville, Maryland .  Mr. Twyman is the founder of, Oprah for Nobel Peace Prize Movement 2006.   He has asked me to be The International Chairperson for Disabled Individuals for the Oprah Winfrey for Nobel Peace Prize Movement 2006!  I am truly honored to help such a beautiful soul to win the prize.   His program will be in Atlanta on January 19, 2006 , we will be downtown Atlanta, soliciting signatures for Oprah!

I want my story to be told to help, inspire and motivate others!  Please check out my new web site, (only 2 months old)!  

http://www.thesoulofasurvivor.org/

Thanks for taking out the time to read my story and checking out my site!  I hope you can use my story!

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