Uncharted territory
Don Barrier found himself in an unfamiliar place in 2019. He was on the highway in Albemarle, North Carolina, in a line of traffic when he was hit head on by another vehicle. One moment, he was crushed inside his car and pinned from the ribcage down, and the next thing he remembers is his door being pried open by first responders. As each minute passed and the race to get him to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, the region’s only level I trauma center was dire, Don thought he was fine and in good shape.
"I remember being in and out of consciousness,” recalled Don. “I wanted to tell the paramedics that I was fine, but clearly I wasn’t in great shape."
The healing power of kindness
Don sustained multiple pelvic and leg fractures, which landed him in the intensive care unit (ICU). Although he knew he was in bad shape, Don never gave up or took pity on himself. "I was desperate not to be the wounded animal," said Don.
Don remembers being in a tremendous amount of pain as his care team guided him through recovery. He spent several weeks in the ICU and recalls falling in love with his care team because of their compassion and never-ending care. Because of their kindness, Don was inspired to keep fighting and get better, despite the emotional and physical challenges during his recovery.
Hope resides beyond the hardships
As Don spent weeks in recovery, he remembers a volunteer from the Trauma Survivors Network coming into his room to talk to him. The volunteer had gone through a traumatic incident and was once in Don's shoes. "This guy was real, and he had a real experience and was living proof and hard evidence that there is another life after the accident," said Don. In that moment Don knew he would recover. And he wanted to become a volunteer with the Trauma Survivors Network too, to help inspire others like he had been inspired during his journey. Don credits the group for providing him as well as other patients a sense of hope in the most uncertain times in their lives.
Angels in scrubs
Once Don recovered and was released from the hospital, he continued to reflect on how good the hospital staff treated him. “Those nurses, doctors and CNAs, they are the angels,” said Don. He wanted to pay it forward and give back to them. He saw someone make an angel out of two surgical masks and it inspired him to start making them too. Don creates hundreds of angels to pass out every year during the holiday season to the hospital staff, patients and parking deck attendants. Don said he will never forget the care and compassion he received from nurses who were like angels to him.
