Chelsea Shines

Chelsea is one of those people whom you never forget even after the briefest encounter. To those who know her, she is one of the brightest stars that God has blessed us with on this planet. Her positive energy and upbeat personality have brought smiles to so many faces. At age 25, she seemed to have the world at her feet — a promising career, an upcoming wedding ceremony, a life with her priorities all lined up where they should be… Then, in an instant, Chelsea’s life would never be the same.

On November 28, 2009, in rural West Texas, Chelsea and Chad were driving home from visiting family in New Mexico over the Thanksgiving holiday. After dark, on the road to Ft. Stockton, Texas, multiple cattle had wandered on to the roadway, and Chelsea and Chad’s vehicle collided at around 65 miles-per-hour with one of the cattle. Chad’s arm was broken in several places during the crash. He was treated and released from a hospital in Odessa, Texas after a few days. Chelsea, however, was unconscious from the moment of impact, suffering severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the immediate days following the accident, Chelsea was in a coma and in critical condition.

Chelsea’s parents and loved ones have been by her side virtually the entire time since her admission to the trauma unit. Countless prayers have been offered up for God’s mercy and healing.  Slowly, she has progressed out of the deepest depths of coma. Now, just over two weeks after the collision, Chelsea is out of the hospital and in a rehabilitation facility, facing a challenging road to recovery.

This blog, with entries currently being written by Chelsea’s family, is to document and share her story.