Lockport Woman Walks Again After Near Death Car Accident in April

39-year-old Shay Strickland nearly lost her life in an accident on April 4, 2013 while she was driving alone just blocks from her house when she lost control of the vehicle, striking a telephone pole, rolling the car and sending her through the back windshield. While it was good news that she didn’t hit anyone else or another vehicle, she was critically injured and not wearing a seat belt.

The accident caused dislocated knee caps, torn ligaments in her knee, bleeding on the brain, a cut-off artery in her leg, 3 broken ribs, a collapsed lung and many bruises. After numerous surgeries, it didn’t seem that she had a good chance of ever walking again.

After 5 months of physical therapy at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s (RIC) inpatient unit in New Lenox and the outpatient facility in Homer Glend, she can now stand and walk with a limp, and even drive.

Due to her serious and complex injuries, she required specialized equipment and therapy at the Institute to allow her to return to her normal activity level at home and work. She now has a bright future and has worked hard to reclaim her life following the accident.