An accident changed my values

I vividly remember every detail of the accident I had in April of last year. A car collided with mine at high speed. Me and my friend who was driving were seriously injured. I remember the headlight coming towards me and the deafening noise of the braking. I don’t know how we survived. All I know is that from that day on I rediscovered the value of living alongside the people I love.

>> I only thought about my career
I had a hectic life. My time was divided between managing the aesthetics and physiotherapy clinic, teaching Pilates, taking care of my body, having fun and being with my son. In that order of priorities.

This kind of crazy life started when I was 18 and I lost my dad. At that time, my mother suffered at my hand because I lived in clubs with my boyfriend at the time and I didn’t want to hear about lectures. In fact, we argued about everything. The result of this was a growing distance between us. Then, at 27, I got pregnant and chose not to marry the baby’s father. I stayed at my mother’s house and it was she who took care of my son for the next five years. Time passed and I just wanted to know about my career and my body. My year 2009 continued at this pace, until the day of the accident.

>> I ignored my intuition
That Friday in April, my friend and I left early with the hope of closing a good deal. We hit the road in my new car. My mother asked us to take the bus, but I didn’t listen. I also ignored the anguish I felt the day before. A squeeze that was repeated minutes before the accident.

On the way back, as we crossed a bridge, we saw a car coming in the opposite direction in our direction. He was trying to overtake a truck. He didn’t have time for anything and… We clashed. It was all very quick and painless. At the time, I thought of my mother, my perfect body, my brand new car and my son. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew I was between life and death.

I felt the first sparks of the fire that ignited my car the moment two hands pulled me out of it. My guardian angel was the doctor Jorge Vasconcellos, who was right behind my car. He ignored waiting for the ambulance and drove us to the hospital in his own vehicle.

>> My son took care of me
I woke up the next day in the post-op room with a tube in my throat and a huge gash in my abdomen. A nurse broke the news to me: “You had nine hours of surgery”. He also described to me the damage caused by the accident. My case was very serious. When I got to the room, I found my mother with her eyes swollen from crying. I remember the happiness I felt when I saw her.

Two weeks later, against all expectations, I was discharged. The doctors were amazed at my recovery and preferred to avoid the risk of infections, so they sent me home. Meeting my brothers and my son again was exciting. Wow, how I loved those people! My little one, 5 years old, soon volunteered to take care of me. After all, I was in the condition of a baby: I needed a bath, food, a diaper.

My recovery took four months in total, from April to August. It was much faster than we expected. During that time, I had to relearn everything: to move my arms, to walk, to take a shower and to control my diet according to my new intestine. This whole process was painful, but rewarding. I took advantage of my idle time to learn more about physiotherapy on the internet, and I practiced the exercises on myself. I returned to work in August of the same year. It was a victory.

>> My rebirth
When I analyze the before and after of the accident, I realize that I have become a much better person. Today, I don’t mind having all these scars on my body or a used car in the garage. I also never rebelled against God or against the driver who caused the accident. He fled to São Paulo and never asked about me or my friend, who also survived. I filed a lawsuit against this driver, but so far I have not heard back. I just want justice: he needs to learn to respect the lives of others.

I also learned a lot of lessons from that accident. It’s crazy to think that I needed to go through such a shock to see the fragility and value of life. I’m at my best professional stage and I’m still working a lot, but I know my limits. I learned to share my time without leaving the people I love in the background. I enjoy every minute of my day and thank you for having the privilege of being alive.

“I didn’t think she was going to survive”

Maria Inês, 59 years old, housewife, mother of Fran
“When I went to the hospital, I didn’t know how serious the accident was. I was told that Fran had broken her arm, but when I found her, I saw the damage from the accident: my daughter was all bruised, unable to speak or move. It was the saddest scene of my life. I confess I didn’t think she would survive. Only God knows how much I suffered, but I never cried in front of her. I had to be strong to support her. I spent days without sleeping or eating properly, just by Fran’s side. We fought together in this battle that she won. My daughter is very warrior. She is an example of overcoming. Our relationship improved a lot after that episode. Now we are friends, companions and we show our love. I am also proud of the mother she has become.”

“She is the best example of resilience I have ever seen”

Jorge Vasconcellos, 57 years old, medical surgeon, Fran’s angel
“I was 50 m behind Fran’s car when she had the accident. I had to brake hard not to crash. Getting her out of the car all bruised up was the strongest scene I’ve ever experienced. There would be no time to wait for the ambulance, so I took the precautions of taking them to the hospital. It was only by God that Fran and her friend made it out alive. By the way, medicine does not explain how she overcame so many injuries. This woman is the greatest example of determination I have ever seen in my life.”

The 8 Lessons I Learned That Changed My Life

1. Value my family and do everything to be by their side. Not a day goes by that I don’t talk to my mother.
two. Show my affection and say “I love you” every day. There is no right time to practice affection.
3. Be honest and say everything that bothers me. Thus, my relationships are richer and more transparent.
4. Live today without leaving anything for tomorrow.
5. Thank you every day for the good things and not get upset about the ones that didn’t work out.
6. Listen to the signs of my heart. When I feel that something is not going well, I stop and analyze. After all, prevention never hurts.
7. Cultivating my true friends, those who were by my side when I needed it. And cut out of my life the people who don’t add value to me. Life is too short to waste time.
8. Define new values ​​that money can’t buy: being happy regardless of car, body and salary. All of these are important, but they are no longer my priorities.