Recovering from Tragic Accident . . . No Walk in the Park

On February 20, 1995, Robyn’s life was altered forever. A leisurely drive into work suddenly turned for the worse when she was rear-ended by another driver. Luckily, she did not suffer any substantial injuries from the accident, but when an officer arrived on the scene and asked Robyn to exit her vehicle to write up his report, it was in that instant that her story changed drastically. Unfortunately, a second car struck her throwing Robyn into the front of the vehicle parked behind hers. “When the second driver tried to back up, my left leg got caught on his license plate and dragged me 10 feet,” says Robyn.

Ending up with two broken legs and a hairline fracture to her pelvic bone, Robyn wasn’t the only one her family was concerned about following the accident. She was also six months pregnant at the time, which meant she couldn’t receive any pain medication upon arrival to the hospital until the staff could safely assess her baby’s condition. Over the course of the next three days, Robyn had three surgeries at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

That April following the tragic accident, Robyn gave birth (while in traction) to a healthy baby boy she and her husband named Travis.

Over the past 20 years, Robyn has undergone multiple surgeries. Because of the damage inflicted upon her body through this traumatic experience and many surgeries throughout the years, Robyn shares that she has received approximately 15 units of blood.

Even though more surgeries lay ahead for her continuing recovery, Robyn feels grateful. Her outlook is a positive one, because she doesn’t see any good in being down about her situation. Instead, she wants to thank those who’ve donated blood. “Without the generous blood donors, there would not have been blood available for me or my son,” she says. “I am very, very lucky.”

Robyn recently became aware of the blood donation eligibility guideline that allows persons who’ve had blood transfusions in the past to donate one year post-transfusion. So, she has decided to donate blood for the first time. “I am very grateful that someone donated when I needed blood. If it wasn’t for those people who donated in my time of need, my son and I probably wouldn’t be here today. Now, it is my turn to return the favor and donate for someone else,” Robyn shares gratefully.

To read more stories like this go to Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Program's Blog Page.

How to Donate
For more information about donating blood in Rochester, Minnesota, call (507) 284-4475 or email donateblood@mayo.edu. Or visit our web page at http://www.mayoclinic.org/donateblood.

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