Michelle Cruz-O’Dell had just spent what she called a very nice Father’s Day with her husband of nearly three years, Ron, and his children.
It had rained earlier in the day, but it had cleared up and Michelle thought it was nice enough to go outside.
What happened next, she has no recollection of, as her life and her family’s was about to profoundly change forever. “According to Ron, I walked out of the garage,” remembers Michelle, 53 of Marshall. “He heard me yell, then heard a tremendous crash and felt the house shake. A very large oak tree had fallen and hit the garage and me knocking me to the ground. Ron came running out as I was lying on the driveway, trying to get up, saying I could not breathe. Neighbors came running over. An electrical wire was pulled down and was lying very close by. Ron called 911 and about 20 minutes later, an ambulance and fire truck arrived.”
By that time, she was no longer responding to anyone and was transported to the helipad at the hospital in Coldwater and then airlifted to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind.
“I do not remember any of it,” said Michelle. “The next day, I had a spinal cord fusion with two 8” rods. I woke up alone (due to COVID) to a doctor talking to me, but I do not remember what he said. A day or so later, I recall waking up to my oldest son Parker, visibly upset, visiting with me. He was granted emergency leave from his base in San Diego and was only allowed an hour visit due to COVID. I was in and out of consciousness, but it was then that I realized this must be really bad. Michelle learned she had sustained a broken back, collapsed lung, multiple broken ribs and a mild traumatic brain injury. Nine days later, she was transported by ambulance to Mary Free Bed of Grand Rapids.
“I think this is when I fully realized I was unable to walk and was not expected to walk again,” she said, realizing the long road ahead of her. “My youngest son Chandler, who was deployed in South Korea at the time, was granted emergency leave. The Red Cross assisted him in coming home and both he and Ron were waiting for me at Mary Free Bed. I was blessed, as one week before that, no visitors were allowed due to COVID.”
In the ensuing weeks, Michelle said she had some “extremely dark thoughts” throughout her stay and recovery. “I truly questioned why God had allowed me to live and had wished many times, that I had not,” she said. “I was not the same person anymore.” To make matters worse, Michelle developed pneumonia had to be taken to the ER where she remained hospitalized for several days before returning to Mary Free Bed where it would take two months of physical and occupational therapy, learning how to be safe and mobile in a wheelchair, to gain strength and independence, before she was allowed to go home, which took place Aug. 27.
“Once home, sleep was the only thing I looked forward to,” she said. “I could not and did not want to get up in the morning. I was mourning the loss of my life as I knew it. I missed running, biking, kayaking, horseback riding, the gym, long walks, etc. I knew I would not ice skate this winter, cross country ski or walk my dogs. I felt so much loss. It was like a death in the family. My heart was broken, like my body.”
Michelle said it was her “amazing” friends, “adoring” husband and many family members who would not let her give up. “They are the ones who insisted on visiting when I did not want and refused visitors,” she said. “I also received so many cards, flowers, texts and emails. It showed me how many people truly believed in me and helped me realize I have a strength inside of me that will not let me quit.” In the fall, she began outpatient physical and occupational therapy two times a week and went back to work part time from home.
“This has helped me get back into a routine,” she said. “My biggest advocate and coach, Ron, has made a home gym which we use on days I do not have therapy. We bought a golf cart to get around in the neighborhood. . Ron had installed hand controls on the golf cart so I can drive it. I will get certified to drive with hand controls on a vehicle and we are looking into that. Ron also built a ramp so I can get the wheelchair onto our pontoon boat. I have a hand trike which I use when the weather is nice. I am working with a horseback riding center for therapeutic riding and I work on standing every day with Ron, stretching and strength training.”
Michelle also said she developed some “amazing” friendships at Mary Free Bed. “Through those friendships, I was told over and over to never give up, and to ‘prove them wrong,’” she said. “One of my best friends is a young man who was injured like myself but in a diving accident. He never quits smiling and his mom has given me so much encouragement from the first day I met her.” She noted that her faith in God is stronger now than it has ever been.
“We met an amazing couple who purchased our camper which we listed on Marketplace,” she said. “We knew we’d not be able to use it for a long time. They came to purchase the camper and asked Ron if they could pray with him. We discovered they are Seventh Day Adventist as am I and are still in contact with them. Also, my father donated his time, labor and his crew to make sure our home was accessible before my homecoming. Beron’s Tree Service was called for the trees that fell. They cut down two more and refused payment after. What a blessing. Sims Electric hooked power back up to the home after the power line was pulled down and also refused to take any payment. Oaklawn Hospital, Ron’s employer, makes sure he was/is able to take any and all time off to be with me during recovery and while I was hospitalized.”
Looking ahead, Michelle said she is optimistic about her future. “Will I have bad days? You can be rest assured that I will, but I have seen many miracles occur in my life since the accident,” she said. “I cannot even explain them all but would be more than willing to sit down and share them with anyone who needs to or wants to hear them. My advice is to never give up and to ‘prove them wrong.’ I was told by someone via Instagram, someone I have never met, that God knew this was going to happen long before it ever did and there is a reason, unbeknownst to me.
I will keep going, keep living my life to the fullest, keep loving and keep working hard as long as it takes or until God says it’s time.”