More Life to Live

BY MELINDA NELSON

Allison Bickerstaff grew up in Monaca, Pennsylvania, a town similar to Le Sueur, Minnesota. It was a small, close-knit community and many of her neighbors worked at Anchor Hocking, the American glassware manufacturer. Her mom Carolyn was a teacher and her dad Gary worked at Carnegie Mellon University. There were 68 kids in her high school class including her now-husband Ryan. Leah, her best friend, went to a neighboring high school.

After graduating with an interior design degree from LaRoche University in Pittsburgh, Allison got a job as an architectural rep for a Formica products company. When a contact at Wilsonart retired and recommended Allison as her replacement, she interviewed and got the job. She worked at Wilsonart for three years before joining Cambria in 2016. “I love working for Cambria as I get to use my passion for design and all the skills I’ve learned along the way,” Allison says.

Thursday, September 13, 2018, started out as a normal day. Allison put her son Logan and daughter Payton on the bus and got ready for a meeting at one of her accounts. She was on the road when a white truck came barreling toward her. It hit her head-on and slammed her Prius to the side of the road. While she has no memory of the impact, she vividly recalls the sound of the crash, the smell of burning, and a song on the radio.

“I literally remember every second like a movie,” she says. “I sat up, looked around and saw my windshield all busted up,” she says. “I tried to get out but my door wouldn’t open. While I was crawling over to the passenger side, I looked down and saw my right ankle was nearly torn off my leg. Thankfully, my adrenaline was going so I didn’t feel any pain. I called Ryan and told

A QUICK CHAT WITH ALLISON him I’d been in an accident. While he was calling my parents, I called my rep.”

While Allison was on the phone, she saw a woman outside her car so she yelled for help. “We’ve called 911,” the woman replied. “The next thing I know, a fire truck and an ambulance were outside my car,” Allison continues. “The paramedics cut the door off my car, lifted me out, wrapped my ankle and put me on a stretcher. I told them I didn’t help,” Allison continues. “When Ryan explained that we were having issues with insurance so we were paying out-of-pocket for my prescriptions, Marty immediately called Michelle Coleman, our Chief Human Resources Officer, and they worked with Ryan to navigate the process.” care for my accounts and check in on me regularly to keep me feeling connected. Even my Cambria Certified Installers reached out to let me know they were thinking about me.”

For the next three months, Allison was in a wheelchair while her broken bones, torn ligaments, and damaged tendons healed.

Allison graduated from her wheelchair to a scooter and started physical therapy. She learned that the driver of the white truck was a 72-year-old man. He'd suffered a heart attack, which is what caused him to lose control of his vehicle.

Allison credits her steelreinforced Cambria Prius and the paramedics for saving her life. She also believes there was another divine force at work. “Except for me, nobody ever saw the woman who called 911. I honestly believe it was my best friend Leah, who passed away from cancer when she was 35. My heart tells me she was an angel, watching over me that day and helping me get through this because there’s so much more life for me to live.” need to go in the ambulance but when they informed me I’d broken my collarbone and sternum, I gave in.”

When the doctors at the hospital saw the extent of Allison’s injuries, they immediately transported her to a larger hospital in Pittsburgh where she underwent surgery to repair her ankle. “Ryan was a godsend,” she remembers. “While my parents took care of Logan and Payton, he did everything for me from washing my hair to giving me my medications. It brings tears to my eyes, just thinking about it. As soon as Marty Davis, our CEO, heard about my accident, he called Ryan to see how he could

Her parents cancelled a trip to Las Vegas so they could care for the family. Friends and neighbors delivered meals and took the kids to football and gymnastics practice while Allison’s Cambria colleagues went above and beyond to make sure she could fully relax and focus on healing.

“I really love my job. Cambria is the best company I’ve ever worked for, so I was grateful to know my position would be waiting for me when I was ready to come back to work. Everyone on my team—Bruce Gebhart, Nathan Shimp, Nina Patel, Marni Cercone, Ashley Oates, Lisa Gritton, and Kalna Bobyn—was amazing. They all pitched in to help

JUST BEFORE THIS ISSUE went to press, our editor-inchief LouAnn Berglund Haaf caught up with Allison. It’s been two years since she returned to her job after her accident and armed with her trademark energy, she’s exceeding her personal and professional goals.

“I’m proud to be setting a good example for my kids by being back at work and surpassing my sales

In late January 2019, Allison’s doctors cleared her for driving. Although it was a difficult step forward, her dad took her to a parking lot. “Seeing my feet on the pedals brought back so many memories, but my dad sat with me and told me it would be okay. I only drove a couple of times around the parking lot that first day. But, I was very determined to do all the things I was able to do before the accident so I kept practicing with my dad until I could drive by myself.”

On March 1, 2019, Allison returned to her job and her Cambria colleagues and customers greeted her with open arms. “I’m thankful to be strong, healthy, and back at work,” she says. “If there’s a silver lining in this experience, I now truly understand that we can’t take anything for granted. As a result, I cherish every moment of every day and make sure everyone in my life knows how much I love them.” ✦ goals every month,” Allison says. “I also walked 170 miles in January, which was a huge milestone for me. I’m happy to be doing the job I love, nurturing and strengthening the relationships I’ve built with my customers and installers. Even though I’ve come so far, there’s still so much for me to do, but I know I can accomplish anything I set out to do!”

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