(Left) Marie Vonderheyden with her mother Cecile and horse London Swing. (Below) Marie went through years of rehabilitation after the accident, learning how to speak and walk again.
on the ground. Fortunately, that passerby called 911, and within minutes, Marie was on her way to St. Mary’s Medical Center via helicopter. According to Cecile, her daughter was in a coma for two months. For a while, she was completely paralyzed on her right side. Doctors said that the odds of Marie walking again were slim. She had to be taught how to do basic things in life, such as swallowing, naming the letters of the alphabet and identifying different colors. She also had to rebuild muscle memory and overcome severe pain and muscle spasms. For the next two years, Marie suffered from a lack of overall awareness. And she has also had many balance and coordination issues. Yet in one area, Marie proved the doctors wrong. She is now walking again, albeit slowly. At home, she can do basic things such as push a vacuum cleaner, cook in the kitchen and do laundry. In the stables, she’s strong enough to groom her horse. Before the accident, Marie — who holds dual American and French citizenship — was fluent in both French and English. Her ability to speak Engwellington the magazine | november 2019
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