By Dave Tompkins
There are several significant birthdays—18, 21, 65, and turning 25 is one of them. This milestone marks a point when you are really considered an adult by others, when your career decisions become more serious, and other life choices (marriage, buying a home, etc.) become more important. For Abby Segal, her 25th birthday marks a time when her life was forever altered, but not the way she expected.
It started off as a typical day—teaching at Farmington High School, and then playing and coaching in a softball tournament. As she was driving home, she was looking forward to a relaxing evening with family and friends, but then her life suddenly changed forever.
“The driver of an oncoming car fell asleep and swerved into my lane,” said Abby. “It was later discovered he had marijuana and several other narcotics in his system.”
Both were injured in the head-on collision, with the driver suffering a clean ankle break. He was out of the hospital in a few days, but Abby was not so lucky. She had many injuries—the most severe was to her left leg. The lower portion— from her knee down—was almost severed.
“I played softball all through college and in that moment, I was no longer able to stand or walk,” said Abby.
The driver was charged with aggravated bodily harm and driving under the Influence. Although he fought the charges, he was eventually sentenced to 90 days in jail and 100 hours of community service. He also was required to write her an apology, pay some fines, in addition to attending a victim impact panel and classes through the state of Illinois.
“He also has to serve three years’ probation and will always be a felon,” said Abby. “His sentence will be up, but mine is for the rest of my life.”
Following the accident, Abby spent the next three years undergoing 16 surgeries trying to save her leg. Over this time, she traveled
back and forth to OSF St. Francis Medical Center, recovering from surgery—which often required staying there over a month, or battling infections. She also explored orthotic options and became acquainted with Comprehensive Prosthetics and Orthotics of Peoria (CPO). She received a leg brace which she hoped would allow her to keep her lower leg, but eventually a doctor told her she was running out of options and needed to consider amputation.
“He told me I could be in pain and have surgeries for the rest of my life, or I could move forward,” said Abby.
Abby and her family reluctantly agreed, but understandably had a lot of questions. They turned to CPO and met certified prosthetist Todd McAllister who assessed her needs and made recommendations based on her lifestyle.
“I absolutely love Todd,” said Abby. “He explained the process to me and my family. He was also able to tell me what life with a prosthesis would be like.”
Todd knows from experience as his wife Suzie is also an amputee as a result of a car accident. With his encouragement and support from her family, Abby is now able to do many of the things she never thought she could.
“I can pick things up, walk upstairs, and stay on my feet all day—things that I couldn’t do with my walking boot,” said Abby. “I can take my nephew shopping, to the movies, and pick him up from daycare. I even started coaching softball.”
With her newfound mobility, Abby has also discovered a platform for sharing the experience with junior and senior high school students in a drug and alcohol awareness program. She also serves as a mentor at OSF for patients who will be getting an amputation or just had one, and speaks on behalf of crime victims for the state.
As a special education teacher at Dunlap High School, Abby says the accident has also brought her closer to her students. The class recognizes she has challenges just like they do and has learned how to adapt—just like they have.
“I believe they accept me more,” said Abby. “The class recognizes that our disabilities are not something we want, but something we have, and that’s OK.”
Transitioning to her new life wasn’t easy, but she’s forever grateful to the people who have helped her through the process. Because of their support, she is optimistic about the future.
“I’m blessed to have such great care from OSF and through CPO,” said Abby. “They have made this process so much easier than it ever could have been. I’m lucky to have a team of wonderful people look after me and take care of me at any time.”
CPO has more than 20 locations including offices in Peoria. CPO offers innovation in prosthetics, orthotics, and pedorthics, with compassionate care and attentive customer service. You can learn more about Comprehensive Prosthetics and Orthotics, as well as find a directory of all of their locations, at www.cpousa.com; or call them for more information at 309-676-2276.