In December 2006, 22-year-old Gráinne Kealy suffered a horrible accident. She broke every bone in her face and lost her forehead.
This strategic story began when she sat in her ex-boyfriend's SUV.
They Were Driving Home
They were planning to drive to Kealy's hometown for Christmas.
It was snowing, and the roads were very icy, but they decided to go anyway. Little did they know how much they were going to regret this decision.
Their Vehicle Hit A Wall
As her boyfriend was overtaking another car, he hit a patch of black ice, and their vehicle collided with a wall.
However, it wasn't the speed of the car that caused Kealy's severe head injury. It was the way she was positioned.
Her Feet Were Resting On The Dashboard
Kealy was sitting in the passenger seat with her feet resting on the dashboard of the car. She had done this many times before, and it was comfortable for her.
However, when they hit a wall at 37mph, the airbag under her feet popped out at a speed of 200 mph.
The Airbag Forced Her Knees Into Her Face
The airbag forced her knees into her face at a whopping 200 mph and crashed every bone in her face.
"Normally, I wouldn't have had my feet up, but I'd just bought new Uggs, and the soles were completely clean," Kealy recalled.
Her Ex Only Broke His Nose
Kealy wants to remind people how important it is to sit safely in a car. Her boyfriend, who had his seatbelt on and was sitting normally only broke his nose.
"My ex broke his nose in the accident, I broke my face. It puts it in perspective," she said.
She Couldn't Remember Anything
She was rushed to the hospital, where she was kept on a ventilator for a few days. She had no recollection of the accident.
Kealy remembers waking up thinking it was September, but the nurse told her, "It's the month where the man in the red suit comes." It took her a while to understand what she was talking about.
She Was Horrified
After waking up, the first thing Kealy did was look at herself in the mirror. She nearly jumped when she saw her face.
"I remember looking in the mirror for the first time, and it was horrific."
She Can't Remember Certain Months
To this day, Kealy still doesn't recall certain months.
"I have no memory of the accident, the three months leading up to it or the month following it, she said. She was then admitted to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, where she underwent a 10-hour surgery.
She Underwent A 10-Hour Surgery
"It was there that I had my big operation that lasted over 10 hours, it involved three teams of surgeons putting my face back together with metal sheets and bolts," Kealy said.
Although the surgery was successful, she still "found everything so hard to do." After a year, she was back in the hospital after being diagnosed with MRSA, a deadly bacterial infection.
She Was Diagnosed With MRSA
The infection is common among people with a poor immune system and those who spend a lot of time in hospitals.
As a result of MRSA, Kealy had to have her forehead bone removed and didn't get a replacement for two years.
She Lost Her Forehead
"I looked quite strange. Thinking back on it now, I don't know how I did it, I just did. I got a lot of strange looks, which I completely understood," she recalls.
It took two years for the surgeons to design her forehead.
She Waited For Two Years
"Originally, it was meant to be titanium. But then, one of the neurosurgeons came up with ceramic. This was made in Italy, and it was specifically made to fit my head," she said.
As a result of a brain leakage, MRSA, and her destructive facial features, she also now suffers from Acquired Brain Injury.
Regrets
Kealy wished she could go back in time and do the right thing. "How did I never consider this as a hazard?"
"I know people are going to think I'm silly for having my feet up there. I think it myself. But it actually scares me how many people don't realize how dangerous it can be," she continued.
Be Careful
It's been 13 years since the accident, and Kealy still suffers from the effects of her head injury.
"My last procedure was a couple of months ago, so I'm still having procedures done this many years later. The only thing I can say to everybody is to be careful, it's not worth the risk. Keep your feet on the floor— front and back passengers."