All their (AVMC Staff) work is very appreciated.

It was a regular day for Jennifer. Her morning had started like any other, on her way to work after dropping off her son. But in an instant, her daily routine was shattered by a devastating car accident that brought her to Antelope Valley Medical Center’s (AVMC) emergency department. “I get flashbacks of being in the car, someone speaking to me with 911 on the phone, and then I see myself in the ambulance,” she recalls. The head-on collision left her with severe injuries including, multiple fractures and the need for a halo to stabilize her neck.

Jennifer’s journey to recovery began in the intensive care unit (ICU) but it was no easy feat. For weeks, she lay in a hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines and the hurried footsteps of her care team. “I remember waking up and knowing that it had been sometime because I asked what year it was,” she vaguely recalls. Jennifer’s memories from her time in the ICU a minimal but she vividly remembers the feelings of pain and fear. “I was stressed and scared. The nights were longer, sleepless,” she says.

After three weeks in the ICU, Jennifer was stable enough to be to be discharged to 5 Tower. There she met Rosa, a nurse tech whose kindness and compassion left a lasting impression. “She spoiled me. She would make sure that anybody that was taking care of me when she wasn’t here knew that I was spoiled,” she emphasized. Rosa made sure Jennifer, and her family were well taken care of and reassured them that everything would be okay. “Not only would she take care of me, but she would take care of my parents. She made sure that they were ok and they had whatever it is they needed,” she reminisces with a smile.

Days later, Jennifer was finally discharged and ready to go home. She was eager to leave the hospital and return home to her son, but she was overwhelmed by the reality of her injuries. “It hadn’t kicked in that I had the Halo. I knew I couldn’t get up because of how heavy it was. I don’t think I was fully aware of what was going on. It was painful and overwhelming,” she admitted.

Jennifer’s recovery was a long process. She had to readjust for simple tasks like walking after spending 3 months in bed. “I was in bed for so long and then my ankle was fractured and my knee, as well. I had to basically relearn everything or readjust to doing it,” she said.

But with each passing day, she saw progress. As she shares her story, Jennifer looks back at her progress and resilience throughout her recovery journey. “Sometimes I sit back and think about how it was before, and where I’m at now. I’ve learned to embrace my scars,” she says quietly.

Now, nearly one year and half after her accident, Jennifer stopped by AVMC to thank the ICU staff who were part of her care team, visit Rosa, and show her progress. She expressed her gratitude for the care she received and the compassion of nurses techs like Rosa. “Thank you,” she says, her voice filled with emotion. “All their work is very appreciated, not just for myself but for my family. The emotional support - is not something that we’ll forget, at all. It’s going to be with us forever.”