DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A woman who has spent the last year recovering from a serious injury got a big show of support from the community.
Sarah Hussey fell from a cliff near Badin Lake in April 2022. First responders came to Hussey’s rescue, struggling because it was hard to pinpoint her location with spotty cell phone reception and few details.
Once she was found, it then became a struggle to get her down the rocky terrain. After that, she went through multiple surgeries and a long recovery, all while raising her two kids.
While Hussey held bake sales and struggled with insurance to get a new motorized wheelchair, the first responders who helped with her rescue donated the needed chair to her. She got the desperately needed chair on Saturday.
“We’re reminded every day of all the evil that we see but if you look you’re going to see the good in the world,” Hussey said.
“She has two kids, with baseball games and dance recitals and all kinds of things,” her dad said.
All of those things have been difficult for Hussey since her injury. She broke more than 30 bones and her mobility is limited.
That’s why her rescuers from the Badin Lake Fire Department wanted to help, knowing that she wasn’t just hurting physically, but emotionally as well.
“I know she’s been struggling and just wanted to reach out to her and see what we could do for her,” said Dennis Nash of Badin Lake Fire Department.
Karen Nash, of Badin Lake Fire Department, said they felt like they needed to help after seeing Hussey work hard to raise the money for the chair. A large donation and fundraising from the community meant that they were able to give Hussey the new, customized wheelchair.
“It will free me up to be able to be in my kids’ life more again, it will give me more accessibility in my own house, get me out in the community more,” Hussey said.
She’s thankful for the chair, but the real gift are the men and women who worked hard to make sure she survived to see another day.
“I know oftentimes they go without knowing what happens to people and I want them to know that we, as survivors, think about them every day just as much as they think about us.”
Hussey said that the donation left her feeling refreshed, with a new sense of community and hope going into the holiday season.
