Hello, my name is Melissa Friend.
I sustained my Brain Injury I was 16 on June 29th, 1998 during my junior-senior year of High School.
I snuck out of my house and took my mom’s car to go and get one of my friends to drink with.
While out, I let one of my friends drive, because of me already drinking. But, that is when life changed!
My friend was not driving well, and we went off the road and hit a tree. The girl driving broke her collar bone. I was in the front see with a friend, I smacked into the windshield and sustained a TBI. The friend I was with in the front, he sprained his wrist. Another friend was in the back and she flew out the back window and broke her arm and had a concussion.
I went to a rehab hospital and learned how to walk and talk and thank God I made new friends and I finally met my soul mate and we are married. I have three stepson and we have a 5 yr old boy together so I stay busy as I can. I like to stay busy, so I will not get tired.
I still get tired if I sit around from my brain injury and my memory is not the best. I have made a lot of mistakes with friends and stuff after the accident, and the hardest part was trying to get back to a ‘normal’ life. Which nothing is normal now but, you survivors get what I mean!
Thank you TBI One Love for allowing us Survivors to connect and share out stories.
