Ten Years Post Injury, a Near Fatal Crash Leads to Hope, Healing, and Success

On a frigid Dallas night in 2012, Nancy Beasley’s life took a radical turn that changed everything in an instant. It was Dec. 30 and Nancy was intoxicated. As she drove onto an overpass, her car bounced off a barrier wall and plummeted onto a freeway 90 feet below. Remarkably, two doctors from Parkland Hospital were on that highway, came upon the scene, and called 911. In a twist of fate, Nancy was rushed to Parkland with one of the doctors at her side, a surgeon “who made sure I was taken care of,” she recalled.

Her body was ravaged. She broke 11 bones, damaged three organs, had five surgeries and endured a petit mal seizure. Nancy was stabilized at Medical City Healthcare in Lewisville and came to Centre for Neuro Skills’ Dallas clinic in January 2013, where she learned to walk, speak, reason, and work again. Despite her injuries, she returned to school, earned an undergraduate degree and continued her role as the therapy coordinator at Medical City’s Las Colinas facility where she’s worked for 11 years.

One step at a time, her life was rebuilt at CNS. Creating a foundation for independence is a cornerstone of CNS’ intensive program. The Dallas team was determined to get her back to productivity. “I thought I was a train wreck,” she said. “But I showed up and they’re like, ‘Oh no, we deal with this all the time.’ They knew all about brain injury and made me feel comfortable. I was surprised at how educated they were.”

Memory was her most challenging issue, but she also regained skills with physical and cognitive therapy, advancing so quickly that she was discharged after six months and completed her undergraduate work in August 2013. She also earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration and now, in yet another twist of fate, Nancy helps patients reclaim their lives at Medical City Las Colinas, where she started her rehabilitation journey.

While at CNS, Nancy came to know and trust the staff. “They were kind, they knew where I was coming from,” she noted. “Nothing I did was weird, odd, or unexpected. When you’re in that state, it’s nice to be handled with care.”

Today, she speaks to university classes and groups about her alcohol abuse (she has been sober for 10 years). “I’m fully transparent,” she said, and shares photos of her accident to educate those who’ll work with patients recovering from brain injury and alcohol related accidents. In her free time, she competes in biking and obstacle course races, continuing to push the envelope of her capabilities.

“They said that after brain injury I may not speak again,” Nancy pointed out. “But now I’ve finished school, can drive a car, I compete in races, and am successful in my work. It’s just incredible.”