Staff report

Konleigh Eben was involved in an ATV accident that could have easily taken her life. At the time she was 11. She shared her story for the first time at the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day on May 8. This was a little over a year after her accident. She presented her story to nine different groups of fourth graders, totaling about 400 students. 

Her mother, Tina Owens, wrote, “I hope this story helps to save someone else’s life. Thanks for printing as this may not only save another persons life, but it is also therapeutic for Konleigh to help her continue to heal.”

Konleigh’s account of the story is printed below in her own words (edited for clarity):

Hello, my name is Konleigh Eben, I am 13 and I had an ATV accident a year ago that changed my life.

[On the] morning of April 5, 2014, [a] friend and I were riding 4 wheelers on our farm. I was thrown off the ATV and it landed on top of me. I got the ATV off of myself by wiggling my body out from underneath it. My friend helped me walk to the RTV that she was driving and I told her to call my stepdad because I could not breath and I was in a lot of pain.

My stepdad drove me to the hospital. It did not take long for CTMC [the hospital in San Marcos] to recognize that my accident was far more than what they were equipped for so they had me flown in a helicopter to Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin.

I was in a coma for a month and when I woke up, I found that I had:  Broken back in 10 places, broken nose, shattered scapula, broken ribs, lacerated liver in two places, collapsed lungs, bruised heart, bruised kidneys, split jaw, torn arteries, paralyzed on right side, two strokes causing brain injury both the left and right side of the brain, and damage to the C1 and C2.

Over the month stay in ICU, I was on a breathing machine and had many surgeries. Then I moved out of ICU into inpatient REHAB, where I had PT, OT music and speech therapy and counseling every day all day long. I had to learn to walk, write, swallow, and just retrain my brain to do many things.

After 2 months, I got to go home from the hospital. I spent the entire summer going back and forth to Austin for outpatient REHAB. I graduated from all of my therapies except PT – I still go two times every week. I continue to take blood thinners for my carotid arteries to hopefully prevent future strokes. 

I am still building strength in my right hip and leg in which I wear a walk-aide and perform exercises daily to help with this goal.

I would like to end with my favorite quote:

“Before you start to judge me, step into my shoes and walk the life I am living and if you get as far as I am, Just maybe you will know how strong I really am!”

Important lessons I have learned from my accident:

• Life is short

• I found out who my true friends really are

• I look at people differently

• I am thankful for all the support that I had during this critical time

• I am a fighter and God has big plans for me and I can’t wait to see what it is!

• Remember to always wear a helmet, follow the safety rules and be careful because things can happen quickly!

• I hope by getting my story out and sharing it with other children that it may someday help to save another person’s life.