since I love sharing my story to people to touch lives, I hope this will make a difference and help anyone that is having a tough time with anything right now.

On April 8, 2007, my family and I were on our way to Easter Sunday morning church service when an elderly lady failed to stop at a stop sign, pulling out right in front of our car, hitting it on impact, causing our vehicle to flip several times before coming to a halt. My 18-year-old brother, Charles, who already had a college scholarship pending his high school graduation in May, was killed instantly. To remember everything that happened in this is crazy to other people, but I don’t think so. I’ll never forget, when I busted out the side of my window with my head, I’ll never forget hearing the car scraping the asphalt while it was flipping, not knowing my left leg was under it the whole time which, had torn all layers of skin off my leg, my main veins, along with a broken ankle and bleeding out. I’ll never forget laying there and my dad running around freaking out about what had happened. He didn’t know what to do. He was the only one that was okay, well not okay, but he could walk and he was in shock. I remember seeing my mom, my poor mom, laying there crying her eyes out, in shock, she wouldn’t answer me at all, I would say “mom! mom! are you okay? mom, It’s okay…” and no answer.. and the most clear memory I have is that when I was laying there at the site, I looked over to my right as I was laying on the asphalt, seeing Charles. He was still in the car. I remember looking up at him, while he was still locked in his seatbelt upside down in the car, blood running down the side of his head, I said, “Charles, wake up, wake up! Please wake up Charles are you okay? Charles.” I figured he was just passed out, (I was only 11 years old, but he was dead). Then I remember looking to see what was wrong with me, of course I didn’t feel anything at all wrong with my body…. as I raised my head I saw blood. I saw bones. I saw veins. I saw a leg that was terrifying. I almost blacked out, I sighed, and I prayed. Then right after that, I looked back. A heard of people burst out of the church right infront of where the wreck was, rushing towards all of us. I’ll never forget a man, asked me if I was okay, and he tied his nice tie around my leg to keep it from bleeding. That man, he saved my life. I have no idea who it was, but he saved a life…he saved me. Finally, the ambulances get there at 10:13 AM, and I was lifted into the ambulance, and they were asking me for my name. “My names Sarah Claire Caston,” I said. “Can you tell me what 4+8 is Sarah?” one of the paramedics said. “Yes, its 12, why would you ask me that right now?” all I could think about is why did this happen to me… why did this happen to us. Why am I still alive right now, why am I not dead. Then I remember them telling me they’re gonna have to cut my dress, my perfect little Easter dress I went to pick out with my mom, she always took me shopping for an Easter dress just for Easter. I miss that dress. It was white, and it was a halter dress, which were my favorites when I was little. it had flowers on it, but it was covered in blood. I was so upset they cut my dress, but they had to. About an hour later, I was life-flighted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston hospital. I remember getting on the helicopter and sitting in a man’s lap, he was yelling at me to stay awake. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO STAY AWAKE WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE……It is an inexplicable feeling. I wanted to go to sleep, SO, SO, SO, bad. It was so easy, all I had to do was close my eyes. Thats all I had to do. I wanted to close my eyes, so, so bad. and everytime he saw me dozing, he said, “Sarah, keep your eyes open! DO NOT, DO NOT FALL ASLEEP. DO NOT GO TO SLEEP.” I went to sleep. It felt amazing. All i saw was white, I felt nothing, I was happy. I was in a stage that I cannot explain to anyone. God knows what I saw and he saved me. After I arrived at Children’s Healthcare, I remember waking up in the emergency room. I figured Ross was with me too, somewhere in the hospital. I said, “Where is my brother??” I wanted to know where Ross was so bad. I didn’t see Ross this whole time all this was happening, I saw everyone, everyone but Ross. Then I looked at my name bracelet they had on my wrist, it was under some random name. I said, “This is not my name. My name is Sarah Claire Caston. And I want to know where my brother is.” They slid a curtain back and said, “Is this him?” and it was. I saw Ross, my heart fell in place. I was with someone i knew, i loved. I was happy. I felt safe. When i looked at him, all i saw was fear. Shock. Worry. Hurt. he was the cutest little guy, he had a neck brace on and a hospital gown on, and i said, “Ross, i’m so happy to see you…. are you okay???” and he said, “Hey claire, i’m okay.” then they started rushing me to the OR and i was getting pushed right passed him, and i said, “Ross, everything’s going to be okay. I love you so much. I’ll see you soon.” and he said, “okay claire. i love you.” then i was out. i remember shortly after that awakening in the OR, surrounded by surgeons, nurses, tons of bright lights shining on me, them asking me so many random questions that i had no idea what any of the answers were, i was still in shock, but i was calm. i was laying there. listening. i heard them talking about my leg. A surgeon said, “we’re going to have to amputate it, there’s nothing we can do.” and ill never forget, everyone turning and looking as the door burst open and Dr. Culbertson (plastic surgeon) came in and said, “i can save it. Let me handle this.” and i had the randomest emotions i could not even explain. i didn’t even think anything was going to happen to my leg, i didn’t think it was that bad, i didn’t know why all the nurses and doctors were freaking out, taking pictures of my leg, asking me questions, saying there was nothing they could do. I had no idea what was going on. I had many injuries, the greatest being my left leg. All the skin from my knee to my ankle was ripped off like a sock, causing me to lose many nerves, mass, main veins, as well as exposing my tibia and fibula and a few broken bones. My doctor had to make five separate procedures within the week and the maximum amount of blood transfusions to keep me and my leg alive. Ross, had splitting of the skull and brain swelling, with much more trauma. They placed Ross in a separate ICU room as they thought neither of us would make it through the first night, as I was put in the ICU for about a month. I’ll never forget, friends coming to visit me, and not going to mention names, but these two women said at the end of my hospital bed, “How’s Sarah Claire?” and the other said, “Look at her. She’s grey. She isn’t ok. This isn’t ok. She’s dying.” and I was thinking to myself… Am i really dying. I can’t die. Death is such a big fear for most people, and i don’t have a fear for dying, i just always have thought to myself that i cannot die. I could never die. I could live forever. I can do this. I can make it through this. All I did was pray. All i did was sleep. All i did was think about my family. I had no idea where anyone was. My dad couldn’t come to see me because he was with my mom at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. I didn’t know that. I didn’t know if anyone was still alive. I wanted to know all these things and all these thoughts running through my mind, but i was in shock. i was under anesthesia. i was in the ICU. I couldn’t think straight. But it felt like i was. My mom was at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, Georgia, in a coma, given a 50/50 chance of survival. No one told me this until about a week later. I’ll never forget, asking if everyone was okay to my aunt, and she told me everyone was fine. I felt so much better. She told me to drink liquids and fed me. she took care of me. she made me feel better about everything. Then, the greatest thing happened. they put Ross in my hospital room. That was the best thing that they ever did for me, I needed him. I needed my brother with me. My only brother at this point. He was all i felt like i had. he knew what was going on. he was in the same position as me. We were both just, in shock, but calm. Later on in the week, i remember my uncle coming to visit me, and he was on the phone when i woke up in my bed. he was just looking out the window. Then he started crying. I couldn’t hear the conversation on the phone but i knew. i knew what it was. i knew that when he got off that phone, he’s gonna tell me something i don’t wanna hear. he’s gonna tell me something that is going to change my life forever. once he got off the phone, i said “what happened.” and he said, “i can’t tell you sweetheart. I can’t.” and i said, “its Charles, isn’t it?” and he just shook his head and cried his eyes out. My heart dropped. I said, “He’s dead, isn’t he.” and he shook his head again crying so much more than I’ve ever seen a man cry before in my life, his face and eyes just full of hurt, sadness, depression, i’ll never forget this memory. I’ll never forget this story. This tragedy shook our town, county and even across the country. People heard our story in other states and sent in gifts, thoughts and prayers. The hospital was above capacity with people lined in the hallways on their knees in prayer for me to survive. The years that followed consisted of memorial services and vigils for my older brother along with counseling and physical therapy as I was in a wheel chair the first year with nurses coming in my home to clean and re-apply my bandages…it was such a pain. i screamed. i was terrified. every time i looked at my leg, i would black out. i still couldn’t believe this happened to me. To cut the story short, I was able to homeschool and later enrolled in Georgia Virtual Academy which provided the online classes I needed to continue my education by carrying my laptop into the hospital rooms, doctor’s offices or at any location with internet access. Enrolling in traditional public school my eighth grade year challenged me with obstacles such as bullying because of my leg, unable to participate in field day, could not wear shorts for Physical Education or other activities, and continued to deal with the pain in my leg as well as managing pain medications. I went to a place in Gainesville who provided two leg braces for me to wear in attempt to stretch my tendons (one for during the day and a separate brace to wear while I sleep), found a company in Texas who specializes in prostethics. During my first year of high school, I flew to Texas twice to obtain a prosthesis through fittings, cast, mold and paint that would cover my leg and look normal for wearing shorts and dresses. The prosthesis rubbed my skin grafts and contributed to more pain. Doctors found I had exposed nerve endings which was contributing to my pain. At the end of my tenth grade year, I underwent surgery for fat transplants to coushin the exposed nerve endings and skin grafts. This was the best and most successful surgery to manage and enhance my leg. I continued physical therapy until i was about in eleventh grade. You have no idea, how much time, money, grief, stress, shock, everything in between, that i was in. These were the hardest years of my entire life. This story is not like any other story i have ever read. this is my story. and my story has changed my life. i will always remember this, and i want to share with people because i want people to realize that your life is special. God has a plan for you. He saved me for a reason. I’m a survivor. I’m the strongest i’ve ever been. I have ups and downs, i feel unconfident sometimes about my leg, but its my story. I can’t help what has happened to me. I can’t. God is using me to get peoples attention to realize that, you’re here for a reason. This could have been YOU. What if you went through something like this, how would you be now? Would you be okay? Would you show your leg to the world or would you keep it a secret for the rest of your life? Would you ever think about “I’ll never have a husband, kids, or friends because of how society is today…everyone will judge me. I could never do it.” I started to think, you know what, i don’t care what people think about me, i’m amazing. i have a great story to tell. i can change peoples lives. i’m the strongest woman alive. i have shown many many people my leg, and they all support me. they’re all still friends with me. so, if you have anything to hide, you shouldn’t. Don’t hide anything from anyone. God knows who you really are, and that’s all that matters. God put you on this earth for a reason, and you have to be grateful for that. God wanted this to happen for a reason. God said, “all good and perfect gifts come from above. I will use this car crash, pain, strength Claire has endured FOR MY GLORY. God puts people in your lives for a reason and they will leave for a reason and it will be one of God’s biggest and best plans. There will always be a reason, and we’ll never know what it is, but we know it has to be for the better. I know that now, I am a great human being, and I have never been more proud of myself until this very second. I love sharing my story and I love touching peoples lives. It’s what I do, now :). God is so good. I am so thankful for what i have, that quote, “you truly never know what you got until its gone” you don’t. when it’s gone, its gone.. but Prayer works. I prayed, and God saved me. God is real. This is not just a lucky thing. I’m a SURVIVOR, and I MADE IT. I have a future ahead of me that is so great, I cannot WAIT to see what He’s got in store for me. And, that is my story.