Electrocution victim will soon be out of hospital
Significant rehabilitation awaits teen who lost her limbs following car crash
After nearly two months and 12 operations involving a series of amputations and skin grafts, Gatineau electrocution victim Sabryna Mongeon has really just begun her challenging road to recovery.
Sabryna, 18, suffered devastating injuries on Christmas Eve after her car crashed on Outaouais back roads. She was unhurt until she stepped out of her wrecked car and was jolted by a massive charge from downed hydro wires. She eventually managed to crawl back into her vehicle, where she was discovered four hours later by a snowplow operator.
According to her sister, Samantha, recent news from doctors suggests Sabryna could be out of hospital as early as next week, and her family hopes to find a place in a rehabilitation facility by the end of the month.
On Wednesday, doctors prescribed medication after discovering fluid in her brain causing inflammation, which has affected her vision and could have led to blindness.
But Sabryna and her family remain confident in her recovery.
Samantha spoke in awe of Sabryna’s strength to remain positive, saying that although her family has been there to support her, it’s been Sabryna who’s kept them hopeful.
Sabryna was initially taken to Hôpital de Hull, then transferred to Montreal’s Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM). There she was awakened by doctors who gave her a choice: amputation of her four limbs or be left untreated and die.
“She said clearly, ‘Yes I want to live. I don’t want to die. I’m OK with the operation,’ ” said Samantha.
Over the next six weeks, doctors performed multiple amputations and skin grafts to treat the burns, frostbite and electrocution damage. Her right leg has been amputated mid-calf, and her left leg was removed above her knee. She has lost her right arm below the elbow and her left arm above the elbow.
The burns are still immensely painful, and the reality that her life has been permanently altered is sinking in. She has begun conversations with doctors about prosthetics, but the details and timeline of rehabilitation remain unclear.
But her condition is improving. She can now sit up, and her family has bought her a computer and a Google Home unit, which enables her to call friends and family without assistance. She watches movies to keep herself occupied — comedies, for the most part, to keep things lighthearted and fun.
These small acts of independence keep the family positive and Sabryna motivated. She’s hesitant to ask for things out of worry she’s being impolite or pushy
Public support has also been a blessing for the family. Sabryna’s family opened a crowdfunding page, hoping to raise $10,000 so her mother could rent an apartment in Montreal to stay near Sabryna. But as of Thursday, $180,000 has been raised. The family waited for Sabryna’s condition to stabilize before telling her about the money; Samantha said Sabryna was floored by the news.
“People have been so generous,” said Samantha.
Sabryna’s mother has rented an apartment in Montreal, and the family plans to use the extra funds to pay for prosthetics and other supports for Sabryna’s rehabilitation.