Prior to the moment that instantly matured my nature, I had one semester left of my Associates Degree and was working with my father at Flavor Catering as event staff at weddings and concerts, helped keep the food truck service running, and was a cook. I also had plans to visit my close friend Alena in Germany for Oktoberfest for my birthday for about a month. On the other end of life’s little spectrum, I rapidly pushed operations to keep on truckin’. Music is a massive, magnificent part of my life, therefore, I continuously attended concerts and music festivals. I also couldn’t miss out on a gathering or the operation was simply not running smoothly. On July 27th, my close friends Erica, Savannah, Chase, Jacob, Eric, and boyfriend of three years, Dylan, all went to see a live performance of an electronic artist at the Cowan. We all had a fantastic night enjoying this show together! After dropping everyone off, Erica and I arrived safely at my house. Then, my brother Perry, Erica, and I decided to pick Chase up from Savannah and Jacob’s home. Shortly after Perry, Erica, Chase and I departed their house, our lives were changed forever. Behind beaming headlights coming straight towards us, at about 100 mph, was a man who during the early morning hours of July 28th, was signifcantly more intoxicated than the legal limit. Perry was the only one conscious during and directly after this collision.

He called 911 and my mother, believing that I was dead. He was in a position in which he was immobile with broken bones and could not get to any of us to check on who was alive. After deciding between which of the four of us which needed the most immediate medical attention, I was briskly life flighted away to Vanderbilt University Medical Hospital. Next thing I can recall was my 20th birthday over a month later. My family and friends had brought my dog Shnicklefritz so I snuggled with him while pondering whether or not I was experiencing reality. “Where am I?”, “What happened?”, “Why in sam heck are all of these people so happy to see me?”. These sort of questions lingered throughout my mind. I thought everyday was a dream and that when I got home from the hospital, it would just pop! There was also a lot of innate intuition that was much more powerful than I had ever previously experienced. For example, around the time of about early September through to about November I had many experiences in which I knew what was going to happen next, had had knowledge of what a person was about to verbalize, and even motions that someone would physically prior to them doing so. My senses have also heightened exponentially since this incident. I can hear a pin drop from another room. I can smell who is coming into the house even when being so far away. I can sense someone’s energy as well. If someone is upset or thoughts are heavy on their mind, I can see through their exterior facade to commune with them on a more spiritual level. This is capability continues on to the present.

After being in the hospital from July 27th to September 11th, I was released with constant supervision. I went to cognitive and physical therapy for the remaining 2018. This next couple months was a healing process. It was a period of time that I truly felt trapped. I had no independence at all at this point. Looking back, it was extremely reasonable to have to be constantly supervised during this time period. Although from my perspective at the time, I was a girl in a bubble. That bubble finally got popped when I got the opportunity to go with my grandparents to Denmark and Sweden for two weeks. I had an uncountable amount of moments of goosebumps and tears from pure beauty while there. After that incredible experience as well as visiting my family in Cleveland, Ohio for Christmas and attending the infamous Bassnectar 360° for New Years, I am finishing my Associates Degree and working again. Continuing life is a wonderful feeling. I think it is important to squeeze every drop out life without wasting a single moment. Anything can happen at any moment and its important to keep that in mind. There is a level of spirituality that I have reached and previously did not even know existed. I give all thanks to surviving this incident to the ones in my life that gave constant love. Being surrounded with support by fantastic family and friends as well as the touch of God is the reason I am typing this right now.

Marlie's Mom's Story

While I was sleeping peacefully a young man was slinging back beer after beer, you see the bar was giving free long-necks from 7-11 that Friday July 27, 2018. While I was dreaming this man who had made multiple drunk driving decisions in his past and had no drivers license decided to put the keys in his ignition and change multiple lives forever. You see he was driving at nearly 100 miles per hour two lanes over the Center and directly into our only two Children and two of their dear friends. My Son called frantically saying, “Mom I think I broke my leg and I cannot feel my other leg!!” I told him he was having a nightmare, as I knew they had been home safely. That’s when he cried out, “No Mom!! It’s real, we’ve been in a BAD WRECK AND I DON’T THINK MARLIE IS BREATHING!!” We then lost connection! I have an app on my phone, “Life 360” I tracked where the kids were and my Husband and I drove fast and without a word said, hands shaking uncontrollably at the wheel. We found that our Son Perry was being cut from the car with “the jaws of life” and that our Marlie was the worst of the four and was being Life-flighted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. When we arrived there the incredible staff sat us down and explained that Marlie was fighting for her life, that she had suffered a “Traumatic Brain Injury”. I was not familiar with that terminology, but I was about to find out all about it. It’s something you can not put into words on paper. The flooding of emotions we felt is something that you just cannot explain to others. I was in a fog. Relatives, Friends from past and present from Ohio & Minnesota we’re suddenly there with us. Our Minister Rev Don Sensing from Greenbrier United Methodist Church was there on a daily basis. Prayers, Love and Food from “Flavor Catering” (where both Marlie and my Husband Marshall work) were being showered on us from all directions!

However, Marlie was still in a Coma. Our friends at Vanderbilt Trauma were simply amazing to us. I knew the kids were having the very best care on Earth. The days dragged on and on. If I got any sleep at all it was ruined when I would awaken to the feeling of heartbreak. My mind would snap on with the knowledge that my Son was in horrible pain with a shattered Femur and broken hip and pelvis, plus he was the only one who had remained conscious so he was very shaken emotionally. My Marlie was laying still like “Sleeping Beauty” with her brain so swollen that her eyes were actually bulging, a Broken neck, broken Facial bones, nose , collapsed lung and a broken Femur bone that could not be operated on because of the brain pressure. Why, why we kept asking ourselves along with the parents of Erica (who was the driver of the kid’s car) and Chase. The Family of the Drunk Driver had already gone through the pain of a funeral and had buried the man who inflicted all of this pain on everyone. Why, why??? There were no answers.

After Eleven days in a Coma things did not look promising. Our Marlie was not responding to any commands and it was explained to us that Marlie would probably have to be put in a long-term care Center because of brain damage. This center is called “Shepherds” and is located in Atlanta. Our precious, lively Joy was never to be the same. As I cried out to my Husband, “Marshall I think we’ve lost our Marlie!” The Security guard, Cheree looked at me and with a stern demand told me to come with her! She pointed in my face and told me, “YOU CAN NOT GIVE UP! YOU ARE MARLIE’S MOTHER!! YOU NEED TO FALL TO YOUR KNEES AND PRAY TO GOD!!!! THIS IS THE 11th HOUR, IF YOU GIVE UP NOW SHE WILL GIVE UP NOW TOO!!!!” I fell to my knees in tears and prayed to my Lord Jesus to help us. I prayed harder than I ever had in my 52 years. We were told that at around midnight the Doctors were to preform a tracheotomy on Marlie to put respiratory tubes directly in her neck rather than through her mouth and nose as they had been. At 11:30 pm we received a call from the Doctor, “Mrs. Ford something very unusual has happened to Marlie...she has worked the tubing all the way out of her lungs and out of her mouth!” I was terrified, “Is she alive???” The Doctor replied, “Mrs’s Ford Marlie is breathing on her own and trying to talk!” It was the birth of our Miracle Marlie.

Since then each day is a bit better. It’s a long process but time is helping. Eating Good foods, drinking lots of water and tons of sleep each day is helping to heal her brain. The folks at the TBI Clinic at Vanderbilt seem to be happy with her progress. At almost 6 months out I can finally breathe a little bit, if that makes sense? One thing I am now and always will be is MADD! A Mother Against Drunk Driving. We all give Thanks to God that our Children’s lives were spared and pray that they continue to heal and will make the very most of every drop of life!