Jeanette Cruthis: A Case Study

On December 31, 2013, Jeanette Cruthis was on her way to an ordinary basketball practice. It was a cold, snowy day and the roads were very icy. Before leaving her house, her neighbor had warned her to drive safely because the roads were slick. This was the day that Cruthis went through a life changing experience that changed her outlook on family forever. Cruthis recalls that as she was driving, “I felt the car skid a little bit, and then I lost control and I couldn’t turn the wheel.” She remembers that when the car started to swerve, “I tucked my feet under the seat because my dad told me never to hit the brakes in this situation. I tensed my arms up so I didn’t touch the wheel and cause any more damage than was about to happen.” The car began to spin in the opposite direction. “I spun about three times before it drove straight into a ravine. It (the car) flipped over once, and then all I remember was the car being at the bottom of the ravine, blood being everywhere, and my head out the window,” states Cruthis.

After this had occurred, Cruthis dialed 911 and told the responder everything that had happened. This was difficult

She said, “I remember sitting in the car by myself, thinking, ‘my neck could be broken. My back could be broken and I could end up in a wheel chair or I could die here alone right now’ and none of those things happened, so I feel very fortunate.” Everything seemed to turn out well for Cruthis. Her experience was intense and included many emotional situations. Cruthis said the one thing she learned throughout the entire experience is that, “family will definitely always be there for one no matter what, and one is not invincible just because he or she is 17. Things can still happen to him or her.” Therefore, Cruthis realized that her family would always be there for her no matter what. In a difficult situation when one is feeling all alone, family will always be