It’s been a yr since Sherri Dugger suffered a stroke that triggered her to lose management of her automobile and crash right into a tree. Now, she’s thanking the emergency crew who saved her life.
By IU Well being Senior Journalist, T.J. Banes, tfender1@iuhealth.org
One yr in the past, on the morning of Nov. 24, 2020, Sherri Dugger’s life was placed on maintain. She was trapped inside her 2016 Chevrolet Malibu only one mile from her Hancock County dwelling. On Saturday, night Nov. 13, 2021, she was once more only one mile from her dwelling.
This time, Dugger, who turned 60 in February, met the rescue staff members who saved her life. With the assistance of a walker, she made her method throughout the room and offered two LifeLine crewmembers with a plaque. The memento was inscribed with the phrases: “Thanks in your service and for saving my life.”
The token of appreciation was good however for Kelly Wallace and Jason Maxwell the spotlight was assembly Dugger. She instantly requested if she may hug them.
“That is my first reunion with a affected person. We usually drop them off and that’s the final we see of them. I’m simply glad we had been capable of assist,” mentioned Wallace, who has been a nurse for 15 years. She joined LifeLine 5 years in the past.
“Working for LifeLine was my dream once I grew to become a nurse,” mentioned Wallace.
“I completely love my coworkers. They’re a number of the most gifted suppliers I’ve ever labored with, and so they have change into my second household. I like the work that we do as properly. With our sources and tools, we are able to take care of the sickest sufferers and get them the place they should be.”
And on that chilly November morning, Jason Maxwell who has been with LifeLine for six years joined Wallace. He began his profession as a volunteer firefighter, grew to become an EMT, after which a paramedic.
It was years of expertise that educated the staff to reply shortly to essentially the most crucial conditions.
Dugger left her dwelling simply earlier than 10 a.m. on that Tuesday morning. She was headed to a Chevrolet dealership for automobile service. She doesn’t bear in mind an entire lot however relations shared that she suffered a stroke, swerved on a curve, misplaced management of her automobile and plowed head on right into a tree.
Inside minutes, a LifeLine helicopter was summoned to the scene together with different native emergency responders. It took about quarter-hour to extract Dugger from her mangled automobile. She suffered a number of accidents to her chest, stomach and proper aspect together with her hip, leg, knee and foot.
At IU Well being Methodist Hospital, Dugger was stabilized and went by numerous surgical procedures. In all, she remained hospitalized and in rehabilitation for 150 days.
“That week is a blur. She was handed from the trauma staff to the ortho staff and everybody in between. She had about six surgical procedures in a single week and a minimum of two that had been a number of hours lengthy,” mentioned her husband, Gary. The couple married 41 years in the past. They’ve two sons – Brian and his spouse, Erin, have two kids, and Zach and his spouse, Casey, have one daughter.
On the anniversary of her accident, Dugger rented out the native New Palestine Lion’s Membership, near her dwelling. Her husband, sons, and grandchildren, a number of different relations and pals joined rescue staff for the celebratory meal.
“It’s a blessing, it’s a miracle – each phrase you’ll be able to consider – that she is alive,” mentioned her son, Brian. “It began with cookies and morphed right into a meal. We wished to essentially present our gratitude,” added her husband.
As she made her method across the room greeting her visitors, Dugger was all smiles.
“I nonetheless have some ache nevertheless it’s nothing. I’m alive,” she mentioned. “God was watching over me however he was additionally watching over my rescue staff. I wish to bless them and need them nothing however the most effective.”
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