There will likely be a long road ahead because you’ll need rehabilitation, but what about your friends and family? Will you still have a home? Where will all your clothes and possessions be? You probably wouldn’t wish that on your worst enemy, but it happened to one woman. Read her story and understand the things she went through!
Ten Years Ago
Though Melinda didn’t remember much, her nurse, Sarah, did. Melinda and her husband were in a horrible car accident. While Marco only had a few scratches, Melinda was in bad condition and ended up in a coma. Maybe it was better she didn’t recollect the night’s events!
Ten Years Ago
Consequences
Melinda had a head injury, broken bones, and internal bleeding, and the emergency responders took more time than normal to get to her because of the weather. The wait caused her condition to worsen, and the doctors only had one choice.
Consequences
Medically Induced Coma
Melinda’s brain was swelling, and the doctors chose to put her in a medically-induced coma. It was the only option because they needed to perform surgery. However, that decision would affect her for the rest of her life.
Medically Induced Coma
Multiple Surgeries
The doctors did many surgeries to fix her internal damage after the accident. They were a success because she survived. However, the medically-induced coma was crucial for her body to recover. That wasn’t the worst of her experience, though.
Multiple Surgeries
Trying to Get Her Awake
It was finally time for the doctors to wake Melinda up out of her medically-induced coma. However, things went wrong quickly. She had no signs of waking up. Though the doctors waited, the hours continued to go by with no change.
Trying To Get Her Awake
The Long Wait
Though they waited, there wasn’t much more for the doctors to do. They simply had to sit around until Melinda woke up on her own. However, the days turned into months. Soon, years flew by, and she lay alone in the room. Everyone gave up on her!
The Long Wait
All But Forgotten
The medical personnel didn’t think she’d wake, but they cared for her. However, her family stopped visiting. Still, someone paid her medical bills each month. A new staff member asked the family members and Marco, Melinda’s husband. However, Sarah knew the truth!
All But Forgotten
The Husband Doesn’t Pay
Though logical to assume that the husband would pay for his wife, Sarah knew that assumption wasn’t true. She was there when Melinda came in and had seen that the man didn’t care for his wife at all and wouldn’t do something so heartfelt.
The Husband Doesn’t Pay
Talking to the Family
When Melinda’s family came to the hospital, Sarah would ask them questions about her. Most people didn’t say much, but one opened up to the nurse. Her sister chose to speak up after seeing Melinda’s condition and told Sarah everything.
Talking To The Family
What They Said
Melinda’s sister told Sarah about the struggles she’d faced. Clearly, Marco wasn’t a sweet and caring man, though he pretended to be. He had a dark side that he hid from the world, but it sometimes came through.
What They Said
A Bad Man
The family thought Marco was bad. He had anger issues and hung out with the wrong crowd of friends. In fact, there were times when the family was afraid of Melinda’s husband, but they thought it was her decision to make; did it almost cost her life?
A Bad Man
Worse Husband
Melinda’s sister learned the truth. Her sister often told stories about what happened behind closed doors. He might have been a horrible man, but he was worse as a husband, and she was frightened. However, she was always vague with the details.
Worse Husband
Why Not Stop Him
Sarah got all the information and was confused. Why wouldn’t Melinda’s family stop his horrible behavior and help her leave? She knew the family was keeping things and pushed for answers. However, the truth was worse than she could have imagined.
Why Not Stop Him
He Had Secrets
Melinda knew that her husband kept secrets, refusing to speak of his life before her. She had asked to get introduced to his family, but he’d make excuses. Though she put up with it, things changed when they decided to have a child.
He Had Secrets
She Wanted a Divorce
Marco was emotionally and mentally abusive to Melinda when they learned she couldn’t conceive. In fact, he was angry she couldn’t have kids and took it out on her whenever he could. Finally, she’d had enough and told her family she was getting a divorce.
She Wanted A Divorce
Fight Causing the Accident
Her friends and family assumed the accident occurred because Marco and Melinda were arguing. Though he had a few scratches, it could have been from a fight. Had she scratched him to try and get away from him?
Fight Causing The Accident
He Doesn’t Care
The nurses got strange vibes from him during his treatment after the accident. He was demanding and rude, and they instantly disliked him. However, he never asked how his wife was faring and only glanced quickly into her room before leaving.
He Doesn’t Care
No Sense
About one month later, a nurse saw Marco with another woman. Therefore, the older staff members knew that he wasn’t paying Melinda’s hospital bills. The question remained: who was it? That was a lot of money for someone who didn’t know her!
No Sense
Rumors Spread
After the story came out, rumors quickly spread. Everyone had a version and different conclusions. In fact, the nurses didn’t talk about anything else, and Sarah got upset. The poor woman was in a coma and deserved more respect!
Rumors Spread
She Tried Hard
Sarah tried to stop the nurses from gossiping, and it worked for a short time. However, Marco pulled another stunt a few months later, and they couldn’t ignore it. It was almost like he wanted to feed fuel to the rumor fire.
She Tried Hard
A Few Months Later
The nurses heard that Marco was filing for divorce against his wife to get everything they’d had as a couple. However, he was also planning to marry a younger woman. Sarah thought it was horrible that he would steal from his wife when she couldn’t defend herself!
A Few Months Later
Doing Research
Sarah couldn’t do much because she wasn’t a relative. Therefore, she searched online to find something to stop him from ruining his wife’s life more. It wasn’t easy, but she focused on the mysterious sponsor, her family, and witnesses of the accident.
Doing Research
Can’t Find Much
The caring nurse didn’t come up with much. She spent endless hours searching and was still in the same place as before. Things were about the change drastically; Melinda was the only person who could stop her husband!
Can’t Find Much
No Trace
There was no mention of anyone except Melinda’s family members, and Sarah had already spoken to them. They wouldn’t do anything. However, the police reports showed an accident with three people; no one knew who that third person was!
No Trace
Wants to Stay Anonymous
Sarah called the police, but they would only tell her there was a third person; they knew their identity. However, they wanted to stay anonymous, so the cops couldn’t tell her anything else.
Wants To Stay Anonymous
20 Years Later
Sarah continued searching for 20 years. She was close to retirement age. In fact, the woman in a coma had been brought in when she was only a student! Marco remarried and now had three kids. Melinda’s family had moved on. Only Sarah stuck with her patient.
20 Years Later
No Hope Left
Everyone had lost hope, assuming that she wouldn’t recover. The doctors even thought of letting her go. It had been 20 years, and they feared that nothing would change. However, they were wrong; Melinda was a fighter and would show them!
No Hope Left
One Day
Since Sarah was close to retiring, she sat beside Melinda and began praying. Her heart rate monitor went wild, and vital signs were shooting through the roof. Sarah called the doctors! Was Melinda coming out of the coma, or was it the beginning of the end?
One Day
Strong Vital Signs
Luckily, Melinda’s vital signs were stabilizing. Her blood pressure and blood oxygen levels were now normal. Clearly, this was more than a blip. If things continued, she would soon be awake, and everyone could rejoice.
Strong Vital Signs
Reaction to Others
The doctors spoke to Melinda, asking her to squeeze their fingers. After a few times, she did it. Then, they shone lights in her eyes, and she followed their movements. While she couldn’t talk yet, she was able to mumble a little!
Reaction To Others
Working Quickly
Seeing her responses, the doctors took action. They did what they could to push the process along and wake her fully. In fact, they wished for her to recover as fast as possible, but it was up to her to want it, and she did!
Working Quickly
Her Eyes Open
After their efforts, they stood back and hoped. They wanted this patient out of the hospital, but she had to respond. Initially, the signs of life faded. However, Sarah grabbed her hand and whispered something in her ear. Finally, Melinda’s eyes opened!
Her Eyes Open
Later That Night
Melinda was now like her old self, and the doctors were happy. Though she had to be monitored, she was in excellent health. Sarah chose to work a double shift to care for the woman, and she got a huge surprise!
Later That Night
Touching Confession
Sarah brought in a bottle of water, and Melinda asked if they could talk. It made Sarah anxious because she couldn’t tell the poor woman what her husband had done. However, Melinda only wanted to thank the nurse for keeping her company.
Touching Confession
Someone Came
Tears had formed in Sarah’s eyes, but a man about Melinda’s age came in with flowers. Why hadn’t she seen him before? Melinda didn’t seem to recognize him, but he explained that he was the one who had paid her medical bills!
Someone Came
His Story
The stranger sat next to Melinda and told his story. He was a stranger, and Melinda had never met him. However, she was his world. He felt duty-bound to care for her, but why was she so special?!
His Story
The Victim
Gareth was the third person in the accident that night. He was riding his bicycle, but his brakes failed just as he hit the road. Though he tried stopping, it was too late. In fact, he’d already gotten to the road, and the driver couldn’t swerve around.
The Victim
Feeling Guilty
Gareth felt guilty about what he’d done. Then, he learned that Melinda was in a coma. He felt terrible that he was the cause of her being in the hospital, and it grew as the years went by. In fact, he couldn’t even visit!
Feeling Guilty
The Least He Could Do
He only tried to see her once in the beginning during all the surgeries. However, he decided that he would handle her hospital bills. He didn’t care about the cost or length of time; he simply wanted her to survive.
The Least He Could Do
Why Now
Since he paid the bills, the hospital staff kept him updated on Melinda’s condition. When she woke up, they called him. However, he had been in a meeting and couldn’t come right away. Still, he showed up the moment he got the message!
Why Now
