Survivors of serious crashes can face life-long recovery

Fatalcollisions can leave loved ones with a lifetime of heartbreak and crash survivors with a lifetime of recovery.

INTERACTIVE:When and where collisions happen on highways in the northeast

It's a realityJulie Wilson understands well.One night, 17 years ago,she took hercar to pick up her husband, who was spending timewithfriends.

On the way home,another car crashed into the couple.Wilson's husband didn't make it, and she was rushed to hospital.

"It hurt. I'm telling you. It hurt so much. Then they brought me to the hospital, and then things are very blurry," she said.

Hear Julie Wallace tell her story in aCBC Radio One documentary:

Morning North7:38Surviving a serious crash

Discussions around road safety often focus on fatal collisions, but for those who survive serious crashes, the road to recovery can be lifelong. We heard more on that side of the story from the CBC's Megan Thomas.

'Hopefully an area you never have to see'

For crash survivors like Wilson,the long journey to recovery starts in a trauma bay at Sudbury's Health Sciences North.

"This is hopefully an area you never have to see," saidDr. JasonPrpic, while standing in the emergency department's trauma room.

Prpicis an emergency room doctor andmedical director of thetrauma program at the Sudbury hospital.

"Wewillreceive people for any type of motor vehicle collisionwhere they need medical care whether those are minor or major traumas," he said.

The hospital also takes in patients from across northeastern Ontario whosuffermajor trauma.

Health Sciences North deals with about 40 major trauma cases a year. Collisions and head and neck injuries are among the most common,Prpicsaid

"I'd love to see zero patients. It's an emotional thing for us to treat these patients," he said.

"It's always a difficult time when thisperson was perfectly fine minutes before the accident."

Mostpatients who make it to the hospital alive end up surviving,Prpicsaid.

But once they are stabilized, a much longer phase of recovery often begins.

Re-learning basic skills

In a unit not far from the trauma area at Health Sciences North,Carol DiSalleworks with many patientswhosufferbraininjuries as a result of serious collisions.

The rehab unitincludes a kitchen and laundry area, because recovery forsome patientsmeans re-learning daily routines taken for granted before the collision,such as cooking a meal or doing laundry.

Every recovery unfolds in a different way,DiSallesaid.

"It's really hard to give people advice about what their recovery is going to be. You just have to keep at it everyday and provide the needed therapy and services. Only time will tell how far they will get."

Knowing what could lie ahead for those involved,DiSallesaidit's difficult to hearwhen another serious crash is in the news.

"I don't think any of us like to hear those stories, or see those situations. It's extremely difficult for the patients and really for their families," she said. "You can never help people as much as you want to."

Once patients have finished therapy at the hospital, they continue theirwork to return to normal life continues.

Almost two decades of recovery

Almost two decades after her collision Julie Wilson is still dealing with the aftermath, including the affects of a brain injury that affects her sleep and personality.

Wilson saidher injuries have made it difficult to work. And there are still countless appointments to attend.

"I still see the chiropractor once a week.I still do massage once a week. It's a full time job taking care of me as I call it," she said.

Ithas taken years to come to terms with both the loss of her husband,and the loss of what she calls "Old Julie," Wilson said.

"Thegrievingprocess is different than when somebody is physically gone, like my husband. Yougrievefor them because you know they are not coming back. But when I am in my body I am still here. There are some parts of the old Juliethat comes out, but I have to deal with the new Julie. This is the new Julie now."