Ashlie’s Story
On November 9, 2004, God would bring me into this world. On August 20, 2007, a devastating car accident would change my life... forever. You see, I was unrestrained in this car... no carseat, no seatbelt. My rescuers diligently worked for over an hour to get me out of this car, my younger brother and I were trapped in the trunk area. As a result of this accident, I would receive a traumatic brain injury. This would cause me to spend the next seven months of my young life in the hospital. In March of 2008, I would finally be well enough to leave the hospital and be released to my paternal grandparents home. Although I was 3.5 years old, I would unable to speak, walk, or eat by mouth. I had a feeding tube and the only way I could get somewhere was either in my pink wheelchair or if someone carried me. Nurses came into the home to help care for me. In April of 2008, a nurse named Cheryl would become one of my nurses. At this time, I remained in state custody. Eventually, it became time for me to need a permanent home. This would prove to be a difficult thing to do. I needed
a lot of medical care. Cheryl was told that the only placement the State could find for me, was in an institution, far away from my current home. She was devastated to hear this. While I was sleeping, she would slip outside and call her husband... asking him if they could adopt me and give me a permanent home. On September 30, 2009 I came to live with Cheryl and my new family. On April 1, 2010, we would go to court and I would be given a new last name... just like theirs! My new family would embrace my biological family, they wanted me to have that connection... that's how much they truly loved me. While living with my new family, I would blossom. I went from just a few smiles that Cheryl would treasure as my nurse, to smiling big, beautiful smiles all the time! Cheryl would tell
everyone that I had my biological mother’s smile. In March of 2010, my new family would be forced to make an unplanned move to a large, metropolitan area. Living in this large, metro area would provide me with many wonderful opportunities. I had the best school that any child could ever want! Go Woodland Elementary Life Skills Class!! Oh... I have to tell you about my curls... my beautiful, Shirley Temple curls. Momma Cheryl, now my adoptive Mom, would fix them up perfectly before I went to school each day. Yes! I went to a public school each day... riding on a bus! Oh what fun it was! On January 6, 2011 God would unexpectedly take me to heaven. I would pass away peacefully in my sleep... with a smile on my face... I saw the angels coming to get me... just as Daddy Bob had told me about...
*Please remember this... I was an innocent 2 year old child. Riding unrestrained in the backseat of a car... with my WHOLE life ahead of me. This car that I was riding in, would be wrecked... totaled... eventually landing upside down on it's roof. The driver of this car was under the influence of alcohol. This car wreck would take away my ability to run... my ability to play... my ability to sing, and to dance... and even to eat a pizza or a cheeseburger. This driver would even die on this day from his injuries. Two years later, I would die from mine. PLEASE... DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE! Take the time to look at "Her Photos" on this blog. My life could have been saved... the life that you save may very well be your own... or the life of someone you care deeply about.
