Celebrate Prom and Graduation Safely

Near the end of high school, fancy dresses and stylish tuxedos come out for prom. Seniors also prepare for college, military, and/or work. A lesson from my life must be learned.

In 1992, I was a junior and an athlete at Tracy High School in San Joaquin County. I planned to attend a California college like University of California, Santa Barbara. That never happened.

I was 16 on April 10 of that year when I was hit head-on by a drunken driver. The collision put me in a coma for 100 days, brain injuries, several broken and dislocated bones, and paralysis. I was a patient in two hospitals for seven months and then had therapy for 17 months.

After 25 years, I still struggle daily with my hearing, talking, walking, and I cannot drive. Schooling for my dream job is unrealistic. A drunken driver dramatically changed my life.

Please do not make a bad decision by driving drunk or become a passenger of a vehicle with one. As the old cliché says, “The life you save may be your own.”