I am a certified nurse’s aide, and I have been working a long-term care facility for 3 1/2 years. I have worked with many folks with those types of medical needs and I have worked with many folks. The story I have to share with you today is about a coworker who became a resident of the long-term care facility.

It was a few hours into second shift, when a coworker name Sheila received a call at work. It was just about suppertime and we were in the middle of passing supper trays; Sheila gets this call, from her sister. As I walked past the desk to deliver a tray to a room down the hall from the nurse’s desk, I can tell that Sheila’s phone call was bad news. I saw my friend, quite visibly shaken and upset. Tears were streaming down her face, and her voice was very broken. Robin our nurse was standing by Sheila to be a ready to do what she could after Sheila hung up the phone.

When Sheila did hang up that phone, and she looked toward Robin and said that her sister had called to tell her that she had seen Sheila’s husband with another woman, and in fact he was with the other woman right then at a restaurant in our town. Robin told Sheila just to go and to come back when she could.

Sheila went to her locker, and grabbed her keys while running toward the front door. I knew that Sheila would soon be having her first year anniversary, and this was the last thing, that I thought she had needed. It was just last week that Sheila had told me in broken words that the pregnancy test she had taken that morning was positive, and then she told me that she thought her husband was having an affair.

I felt awful for my friend, no one deserved to have the kind of marriage that she had. I felt bad that I could not go with my friend when she needed me, as I needed to be at work.

It was not too long after that when we heard the sound of sirens in the distance, and they were coming closer to the facility where I worked. Of course, we were at the back of the building so we could not see what was going on out front of the building but we knew the sirens had stopped some place out front of the building.

We went ahead and finished serving the supper trays, and the rest of our duties taking care of the residents of our facility. It was not until supper trays were picked up, that the first workers on our unit would go on to their supper breaks. I was one of the first ones to go on supper break and then as I was outside smoking a cigarette I overheard a few girls from the third floor talking about an accident. The girls told me that it was Sheila’s car, which had been hit, and I was devastated. They told me Sheila had left the scene of the accident on a gurney. They did not know anything more but they did tell me that her car had been hit directly on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

I went back to the unit, and told Robin what I had been told, and grabbed my cell phone and called Sheila’s sisters cell phone. Nancy confirmed the yes Sheila had been in the accident and it was quite bad and that my friend may not make it through the night. Apparently, when Sheila had left the parking lot she was hit. As she was turning to the right, a drunk driver hit her directly on that side. The drunken man walked to way from this accident without a scratch, my friend was fighting for her life, and it was not fair.

Sheila would pull through those critical forty-eight hours, but the effects of an accident forever changed her life. Sheila spent almost 2 months in a coma and when she woke up she had severe brain damage, she breathed through a tracheotomy, her right side was totally paralyzed. She still had some use of her last leg, but her left arm was gone below the elbow. Sheila was always one of those people who would rest her arm on the window and hold the top of the car, and when the drunk hit her, it decapitated her arm. There was no reattaching that mangled mass of flesh and bones.

Sheila also lost the baby she was carrying, and as soon as she awoke from that coma, her husband entered the hospital room for the first time and told her he wanted a divorce. The Sheila could not sign in a divorce papers, and with the tracheotomy she could not refuse it either.

In a few months, Sheila would come back to work, but this time instead of a coworker, she became a life long resident of the long-term care facility. Sheila’s parents would regain the custody of their adult daughter who was severely incapacitated by a drunk driver both mentally and physically.

That drunk driver was arrested for a DUI, paid $1,000 in fines, got three days of community service, lost his license for 60 days and had to attend one victim impact panel. It was not a month later that he was caught driving drunk again on a suspended license. Again, he got an insignificant punishment.

Shelia’s accident occurred a few years ago, she is now 39 years old, completely paralyzed on the right side of her body. She can talk, but it is very unrecognizable at times. She will never walk again, or dance, as she loved to do. Her life was forever changed by a man who got a very insignificant punishment. The DUI laws need to be changed, as they do not deter anything.

AmyB is a freelance writer from North Eastern Pennsylvania and writes on a variety of topics.

THE STATE, COLUMBIA, S.C.                                                               FEB. 17, 1997

Most people who sit behind  the wheel of a car after having “one too many”  have a nagging fear. It’s not their personal safety they worry about. They dread a confrontation with the law. The consequences financially and emotionally — can be devastating..
  Henry Hilley of Irmo, the founder of Designated Driver Inc., can provide such drivers an invaluable, if not life saving service. He says.
For a donation, ’small or large, Hilley will make sure the drivers  and their cars get home safely in one piece, sans an arrest.
  “This is a one-man crusade right now,” admits the 46 year-old Navy veteran, who recalls the personal nightmare of being stopped one night after having had “one too many.”
   Evangelical calling. A stocky, straight-talking owner of a used ear lot, the “reformed” Hilley says the motive behind his part-time business is not money.
He has averaged only about eight calls a week and slept pretty fitfully since instituting the (fully insured and bonded) operation.
two months ago.
The donations have range from “nothing” to one lone $100 bill. But Hilley has an evangelical fervor about the correctness of his calling
   “My goal, by the end of the century, “he says” is to cut deaths by drunk drivers in America in half. After that, with the help of others across the country, I think we could virtually eliminate DUIs.”
Hilley’s “limousine” would never make the cover of Gentleman’s Quarterly. It’s a garish looking orange “78 Dodge Colt, the license plate of which reads ‘DRUNK.’
The hood ornament is a rubber giraffe: ‘It makes people take notice — that’s the whole idea of the car.’ A printed sign also reads, Than a Taxicab, a DUI or Someone’s Death!”
Eternal vigilance To alert Midlands tipplers to his service, Hilley has placed business cards and signs at area bars, most of them in St.
Andrews. From 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., Hilley catnaps on a couch in his office, waiting for the calls. Some nights they come in bunches; sometimes, not at New Year’s Eve. he had calls more than he and a friend who drives the customer car home could handle. His best customer, Hilley Says, is “a man who has called me over 20 times. He’s already had 4 DUIs; he’s finally learned his lesson.’ Harold Watson, the executive director of the S.C. Chapter of MADD, says he supports what Hilley is doing, especially as he’s legally constituted. “We support him, Watson Says,  “We’ve always encouraged people drink to take advantage of a safe-drive, designated-driver Service ” Eternal vigilance is the price of  a sober-driving society, Hilley says, paraphrasing Thomas Jefferson’s observation on liberty. But vigilance must not be America’s strong point, he says, or Jefferson have cautioned us about it in the first place. Hilley’s Designated Driver number is 318-4663.Bill McDonald’s column appears every Thursday and Sunday in The State. Call him at 771-8386 to tell him about
interesting Local people

 Henry Hilley of Irmo the founder of Designated Driver Inc., can provide drivers who drink an invaluable, if not life-saving, service, he says. For a donation, “small or  large” Hilley will make sure the drivers and their cars get home safely in one piece, sans an arrest.

If you are planning a night out where drinking alcohol is involved, you need to act responsibly and find a designated driver.

What Is A Designated Driver?

Designated drivers do not drink alcohol - they drink soda or any non-alcoholic beverages while others have the alcoholic drinks.

Why Should You Have A Designated Driver?

The answer for this is simple: a person who drinks, even a few drinks, can have impaired vision, thinking and sensibility. You should never abuse alcohol and drink too much, but even if you only drink a couple drinks you should still refrain from driving. Everyone has seen or maybe even experienced the “nothing can hurt me” phase when you are out enjoying yourself. This is when accidents happen.

Accidents are the number one reason for not drinking and driving. The designated driver is responsible for everyone’s safety, including the other people on the roads. If you were to get behind the wheel and drive, you will have reduced driving abilities, which can result in the loss of life, maybe not for yourself, but for someone else – a family on the way to miniature golf or to a birthday party.

This is another reason to have a designated driver. If you are stopped with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.08, you are going to be cited for DUI (Driving under the influence). Once this happens, you will lose your license, pay a fine and have to attend classes for alcohol abuse. Your alcohol limit also is lowered for the future in some localities. A designated driver is much cheaper than a DUI, especially if your livelihood is driving.

If you would have an accident and cause a fatality, you could be facing prison time. Even if it is not a fatality, you could maim someone for the rest of his or her life. Drinking and driving is a serious matter and you need to act responsibility. Designated drivers are there to protect you and the public. If you plan to drink while you are out, it is your responsibility to arrange a designated driver before you go.

Designated drivers that sit in drinking establishments are sometimes offered free sodas for the night. This is just one way that the drinking establishments are working to stop drunk driving in their communities. If you choose a designated driver for the night, may sure it is someone who will respect what they are responsible for and not drink. A designated driver that fails to stay sober is just as bad as if you were driving, since they will be responsible for your life and the public as well.

Visit Mark Houston Alcohol Rehab Program and Recovery Center for more articles.

DUI Is It Worth The Risk?

By: Jolanda Leuschner

Driving under the influence of alcohol is not a good idea. Many people die in car accidents all because a driver was under the influence of alcohol. Families are losing their loved ones and are left behind with grief and sorrow. We can all do our share in preventing these kind of accidents to occur.

Preventing a person from driving under the influence can be a true difficult task to fulfill. Often the person in question is not responsive to any kind of suggestions. So, before they get to the point of being intoxicated and non responsive… at a party you are planning here are a few suggestions for you in the hope it will prevent a lot of possible grief and sorrow.

1. Make a list of all people that are non alcohol consumers before your party begins.

2. Ask people that are going to be alcohol consumers to hand over their car keys ahead of time.

3. Make a list of volunteers willing to stay sober and willing to be designated drivers.

4. Have a telephone number of a taxi company by the phone to return your friend or friends home safely.

5. Limit the amounts of alcohol served.

6. Stay sober yourself to ensure the safety of others.

7. If #6 is not an option for you, then have someone else in charge of the party which will be a non alcohol consumer.

Car keys can be labeled by name of the owner. Those keys can be returned easily the next day after everyone is sobered up, and is capable of being responsible in traffic. This is just a small gesture for you as a party host to prevent a possible family from grief. Not only the family from a victim, but also possibly the family and friends from your own friend.

If you from the beginning are going to show that you have safety in mind for everyone involved. People will be in general respectful of your wishes. No wait until it is too late. When everyone is still in a cooperative stage of mind they will be more compliant, and your party can still be the very best as you intended it to be.

Is driving under the influence worth the risk of losing a loved one? Personally to me it is not. This is because I have lost a loved one, and also have seen family members severely injured by a drunk driver. Due to the negligent behavior from another person my injured family members will never be the same. The grief of seeing this happen is painful, and will never completely go away. Hoping this will never happen to you, I strongly recommend to always have designated drivers that you can trust ready and available before the party starts.

Jolanda Leuschner is a proud single mother of 3 sons, and also the proud owner of an article directory. You are invited to visit Best Daily Articlesany time you wish. She enjoys writing and making a living through the internet.

Designated Driver of America, Inc. is an ongoing community service in Columbia, SC. Started more than 10 years ago by local life-saver Henry Hilley, Designated Driver Of America has helped to save countless lives in the Columbia and surrounding areas.

The concept is so simple even an inebriated person can understand it (and thank goodness for that!). Basically, if you are out at an establishment, whether its a bar, a concert, a wedding or anywhere there is alcohol and you have consumed over the legal limit then you simply call 803-318-HOME and 2 Designated Driver volunteers will be at your service (usually within 30 minutes!!) anytime day or night!!

This is where it gets good, One Designated Driver will drive you home in YOUR CAR, the other Designated Driver follows behind so the one driving you home can get back to the Designated Driver HQ….

How much does this service cost???

DONATIONS ONLY!!

Designated Driver Of America is NOT a state or federally funded program!… We are simply good people of your community on a mission to help keep the streets of Columbia (and any other town for that matter) SAFE FOR EVERYONE!!!

That is why Designated Driver urgently needs your help…When you need us CALL US, When we get you home safely DONATE accordingly!!

ALL donations go towards the rising price of gas, insurance for our D.D. vehicles, marketing materials (like hats, buttons, business cards, etc.) and generally

BY DONATING YOU HELP KEEP DESIGNATED DRIVER ALIVE WHILE WE HELP KEEP YOU ALIVE!!

Sincerely,

Joey Stubblefield
D.D. since 2001