August 21, 2009

• Don’t Text and Drive

  Hillary is our family’s hero and it’s not just because she has worked so hard to get well.  She is our hero because she wants to be a beacon and force of support for banning texting while driving. If you have run into her while shopping over the last many months, you know she will quickly tell you not to be “inTEXTicated” while driving as she had been. (Early on when her speech was so slurred and she spoke so quickly, we had reminded her most people might think she was saying “intoxicated” when she said she was “inTEXTicated”.)   If you’ve seen her out you also know when your quick visit comes to an end she will leave you saying,  “Wear your seatbelt…I was an idiot and didn’t wear mine!”  And no doubt when you head on your way you tell yourself you will never text and drive again.  (Sadly, even though we are living the aftermath of the dangers of texting while driving, I have to force myself to turn my BlackBerry off on the road to ensure I won’t peek at an incoming message.)

   

  You may have just become aware of the controversial public service announcement now airing on TV in Great Britain which graphically demonstrates the danger of texting and driving.  In fact, the thirty minute public service announcement is so graphic, YouTube has flagged the video as unsuitable viewing for anyone under the age of 18.  The commercial shows three young women texting to a friend while driving down the highway.  As the driver continues to text, she unknowingly moves into the wrong lane and hits an oncoming car killing at least one of her passenger friends.  Another car then hits both crashed cars and kills a young father.  The immediate aftermath of the crash and emergency transport activity is visibly and emotionally horrific to watch.  But Hillary will tell you, “Watch it!”  She will tell you to let your young drivers (and soon to be drivers) watch it.  Our girl will say, “Insist your successful businesswomen and businessmen colleagues and friends watch it.!”  She (and we) hope perhaps watching this painful film will dissuade us all from the instant gratification we get on discovering that next BlackBerry or iPhone message that just came in while we are barreling down the highway to get to our next stop.  And yes, it’s hard not to look…turns out we are addicted!  Research has recently proven we get a little shot of dopamine (the feel good internal chemistry we humans crave) every time we receive a text message—which explains why we just can’t seem to stop peeking at these short little update messages while we are driving.  And if that’s not enough, we now know our driver reaction time while texting is nearly 27% delayed than that of a driver under the influence!  A texting driver is more likely to be in a crash than a DUI driver! 

   

  So please help Hillary and our family spread the word: “Driving while inTEXTicated ruins lives!”  Technology continues to grow at an overwhelming rate.  Fortunately some of that new technology is the very thing that is turning Hillary’s life around, i.e., Bioness and other cutting edge therapies.  But with growing technology comes the dangerous use of that technology on the road.  Perhaps that is why Vanderbilt’s Director of Trauma, Dr John Morris, always reminds his audience the disease of trauma is the fastest growing disease in our nation and the number one killer of people in the prime of their lives.

   

  Hillary’s TBI (traumatic brain injury) or as she calls it “DBI” (damn brain injury) surely did not happen because God wanted her to be a beacon guide for prevention.  Our family doesn’t believe God causes such things to happen.  It was Hillary’s own youthful belief in her invincibility and her own behavior of texting while driving that changed all of our lives forever.  That said, her positive and steadfast belief in God and His direction for her life is the most powerful of all outcomes from her crash.  And Hillary believes she has a story to tell to all of us.  It began with a dangerous text message while driving; instantly connected her to three Angels that stayed with her as she lay nearly dying on the side of the road that day– to the proof that God and His love and our world of friends’ prayers carry us even through the long trauma journey ahead.   

   

  Still….Please don’t be inTEXTicated! 

   

   

  XOXOXO

  –Shawn

   

   

  Something Hillary took for granted pre crash!  She hasn’t been able to put both hands behind her head in two years.  Check out that smile!

   

  

   

   

  And if you know Vance then you know his personality is sooo different from our other grandson!  With righteous indignation to the absurdity of texting while driving (touched with sweetness and kindness and a little fear), we can just see Vance saying,  “Are you kidding me Daddy/Mommy/ Anybody???!!!!   You text and drive?!?!?”    How this little guy loves his Aunt Hillary!!!

  

                       “Please don’t be inTEXTicated!”

   

  (Thanks for the precious picture Scotty!)
  

  • 11:38 am
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