Caroline Pringle

Healthy 33 years old, non smoker, non drug, non alcohol user ever, into swimming and the arts and history. Was walking across the street in the middle of a sunny day in a crosswalk when a teenager on his cellphone hit me and 2 other pedestrians going 35 mikes an hour. He said he was only distracted for a minute but it flew me 60 feet in the air and I landed on pavement with a broken back and broken left thigh collapsed left lung diaphragm half paralyzed and conclusion .

Before that, I had a very strong feeling and several vivid dreams from my older brother who had recently passed away and he kept saying, get as much Blue Cross as possible and you’ll be alright. I told our parents and finally went to their house and contacted Blue Cross and got a 3 million dollar policy for only $40 dollars every 2 months since I was so young, very healthy and never any operations or illnesses.

A year later I was hit by the teenager in his SUV on his cell phone. I told everyone don’t move me. I told the paramedics don’t take me to a county hospital. I had a great orthopedic surgeon and was admitted to another hospital. After the surgery on my broken back and thigh and lung, etc., I got sepsis and a staph infection in the hospital. (

) I was put on 3 different types of antibiotics IV for a year and a half with a central line in my chest.

I had to learn how to breath again walk again. My career as a fashion model and world traveling musician ended. The hospital and 9 surgeries later cost 2 million dollars. I was so amazed at the great staff and surgeons and nurses. Sepsis is very very dangerous. I certainly would have perished if I had not had so much private insurance and was very healthy. I found it very frightening that if I had not had all that private health insurance I surely would have passed away. More should be do be to expose the ratio of death and long recovery from sepsis from a surgery. It was not anyone’s fault. It is just there are super bugs in the air in a hospital and one will be fortunate if you never have to go there and you have great orthopedic surgeons and infectious disease specialist. Very challenging experience, made me a kinder more compassionate human being and tested my ability to be positive in the face of ongoing tragedy and loss. But my incredible parents and brother kept me positive so my mind was not depressed .

Sepsis is a huge danger and more should be done to educate the public.
Felicity Pringle