Make an Impact
You helped purchase the driving simulator that is teaching Emily to drive again after a catastrophic accident
Emily Alvarez came home from college to be the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding. On her way back to school, the unthinkable happened. A car travelling 110 miles per hour crossed the median and caused a fatal car accident.
Emily was the sole survivor.
She suffered many injuries in the accident. She had two major brain bleeds in the part of her brain that controls memory and language. She lost 40 percent of her peripheral vision. As a result, she could no longer drive.
“I really miss being able to drive when I want to run errands or hang out with my friends,” she says. “It’s really hard having to rely on people to get literally everywhere.”
“The idea of being able to drive, finish school and hang out with my friends is such a dream.”
Fortunately for Emily, you’re helping her get closer to regaining her independence. Your donation to Mercy Health Foundation helps purchase new equipment like the driving simulator she uses in the On the Road Again program at Mercy Health's Oregon Outpatient Rehabilitation and Therapy.
“When I first started using it, I would wreck the simulator vehicle all the time and I would get so upset and mad,” Emily says. “But the instructor was calm and uplifting.”
“You don’t know how grateful I am for the driving simulator that can help me drive again one day. Without your donation, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”