Anniversary and Thank You

The other day, I marked the anniversary of the accident with a letter to those who responded on the day of the crash.  The letter was sent to those who stopped, both passers by and emergency responders.  Here is the text:

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I am writing to you on the third anniversary of an extraordinary event. You might not recall the date, but you will no doubt remember your part of the story I have to tell. Three years ago, I was involved in a serious car crash on I-5. You were one of those who stopped.

The entire story is long, and I won't tell it all here. There are two things that might interest you, how we all got there, and how it all came out. To save the suspense I'll jump to the end: Everyone lived!

August 3^rd 2008 was a sunny, warm Sunday afternoon. I was taking my 14 year old nephew Sam to his home in Salem. South of Wilsonville, I was in the fast lane in our little green Miata when another car abruptly cut across from the slow lane into the fast lane where I was. To this day, the details are fuzzy. I think that the other driver's view of me was blocked by another car I had passed. To avoid a collision, I swerved and we ended up where you found us, in the median.

We can't say for sure who the other driver was. I have a pretty good idea, but it is mostly deduction, with only a little proof. I long ago made the decision that I would not pursue it. There was nothing to be gained – no benefit from laying blame for something that was ultimately an accident.

I was luckier than Sam. Some part of the cable barrier hit me in the head. While I had a bad cut, that is all it was. Sam on the other hand, was hit with something large and heavy causing a serious brain injury. He was in a coma for over a month. For much of that time his condition was very touch and go. That was followed by extensive rehab. Sam was very physically fit before the accident, had a positive outlook and a spirit of determination. These qualities served him well through a long recovery.

Today, Sam has grown into an amazing young man. The family joke is that the accident made him a better student because he is carrying a 3.5+ gpa. He keeps his hair cut short so that the long scar from two brain surgeries is visible. He tells us it works to his advantage when meeting girls. (He is, after all 17). Sam will graduate next spring with his class and has plans to join the Marines.

Throughout this experience, I have learned some things about gratitude. So the one thing that has weighed on my mind, is that it has taken me this long to say thank you to those who stopped. I appreciate very much each of your contributions. By stopping, you helped us through the accident and made it possible for us to recover as we have. So I thank you and Sam thanks you.

-- Patton