Melissa - Spinal Injury Victim

Melissa is a spinal injury victim from Derry who was a back seat passenger, aged 19, in a car which crashed in Letterkenny on 3rd June 2002.

The car was a wreck but the three other people who were wearing seatbelts walked away with no serious injuries. Melissa always wore her seatbelt but, this once, she was tired and took it off to lie down across the back seat.

Melissa’s life changed forever, in a split second.

She loved sport and wanted to work in fitness. She was an incredibly popular, independent girl.

Melissa is now dependent on carers who visit her home 3 times a day. Simple things can be very difficult.

She talks about the day she was told she would never walk again and how traumatic that was.

Melissa is certain that her seatbelt would have saved her.