St. Luke’s brings together trauma survivors to celebrate recovery
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - On Wednesday, St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City invited former patients to come together on National Trauma Survivor’s Day to recognize their resilience and recovery. One of those who attended was Michelle Miller, who survived a car crash last year.
“Last September I was coming from the airport,” said Miller. “I got on the highway, and I was the only one on the highway at the time. I was in the right-hand lane, and I saw the diesel behind me, but it wasn’t up on me. Then when I looked into my rearview mirror again, the lights were right up on me. It hit me and I went airborne.”
She says her car was pushed into oncoming traffic, where several other cars hit her before her car went into a ravine. Miller says the truck that initially hit her fled the scene. She was rushed to St. Luke’s.
“My pelvis is broke, I had 4 broken ribs, and bleeding on the brain,” said Miller. “I was in a coma on a ventilator. It was a touch and go.”
Just a few months prior, Miller had received a new kidney. She says she waited two years before she was told there was one available for her in June 2024. After the car crash, she underwent multiple surgeries and had to have her new kidney removed to save her life.
“It took my kidney, but it didn’t take my life,” said Miller.
After being discharged in December, Miller learned how to walk again. She says she’s thankful for multiple people who took care of her throughout her recovery, from medical professionals at St. Luke’s to her friends, family, and of her church in Blue Springs.
On Wednesday, she was able to participate in the 2nd annual gathering of trauma survivors who were treated at St. Luke’s. The hospital is a member of the Trauma Survivor’s Network and wanted to celebrate the spirit and strength of its former patients for National Trauma Survivor’s Day.
“It means so much to me to see the progress people have made,” said Dr. Alyssa Fesmire, a trauma surgeon. “When I took care of Michelle when she was in the hospital, she was on a ventilator. She wasn’t able to talk with us. I saw her in clinic 4 months ago and she walked in without a cane and with a big, bright smile on her face. She shared with me that she was back at home, living independently again. It’s a very rewarding experience.”
Looking ahead, Miller is eagerly awaiting a new kidney. She hopes her story offers hope to those who may be recovering from traumatic injuries and events.
“I’m still smiling because I can,” said Miller.
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