I survived a car roll over, as did my 3 month old baby!

Bare with me as this is hard.
The year was 2011, I was 21 yrs old and was taking my 3 month old Daughter to her 3 month check up and immunization with the health nurse.
On the way back home, I went down a back country road, the speed limit was 110, I was doing around 100kms when I swerved suddenly to avoid a stationary, detached caravan which was in my lane. (Apparently it had blown a Tyre, and the owners left it there with no cones or flags and on the road-to go get a replacement tyre)
It all happened so quickly, I veered onto the right hand lane to avoid, (thankfully no cars were coming in the opposite direction!) but as I only seen the caravan last minute, (I assumed someone towing the caravan was pulled over up ahead) I over steered, stomping on the break entire time, the car then went back towards left lane but heading for a tree!, All I could think was if I hit the tree that’s it, so i pulled the wheel in the opposite direction hard, it flipped 2 times, it was what i’d imagine being in a washing machine would be like, the second flip I hit my head on the steering wheel and lost conscientiousness.
Right before I lost conscientiousness, I could hear myself screaming, the gravel flicking up under the car, I had the realization that the car was now not in any of my control.
I hoped more than anything in the world that my beautiful 3 month Daughter live and be okay…when everything went black, I thought that, that was it, I thought I had died.

When I came-to.
I was confused. I could hear my baby screaming-She’s alive I thought, I looked to my right, the window was gone, open. I realized the car had landed upright (thankfully) but across both lanes of traffic!
My face and head felt wet and cold-I had a large gash to my scalp and it was bleeding down my face. And I had the worse headache imaginable.
Some kind men approached, they had called an ambulance.
Apparently they had seen the car flip as they approached travelling in the opposite direction.
All I could get out was “My baby!!? Is she okay!?” They reassured me, there’s not a scratch on her.
One kind man stood next to my drivers side, held my hand and said with tears in his eyes, “you’ll be okay darlin” “I’ve got a Daughter about the same age as you”
The other man, talked to my Daughter and tried to “shhh’ her “it’s okay little one”
They found my mobile under the chair and called my partner who was expecting us to return a while ago. He was shocked to hear a man answer when my number called!
He was told we are okay and to meet us at the hospital. The bystander held the phone to my ear and I said to my partner “I’m okay, We are okay, Love you”
They did the right thing not moving us, but all of my instincts just wanted to hold her, or someone just to hold her.
Rearward facing in the centre of the back seat, I longed to see her, and check her over.
I said ‘She was asleep, and will be due for her feed now”
I hoped it wouldn’t be too much longer, 20 minutes felt like eternity listening to her crying. I felt so useless and helpless sitting there enduring it. Everything was strewn all throughout the car, and onto the road.
So much sand from the floor was all over me.
I thought the men were lying to me, to keep me calm..I couldn’t move. Stuck in my chair and unable to move my neck to the side to see for myself was true torture.

It was painful, awkward and uncomfortable the way the ambulance officers had to get me out onto the stretcher, the door was jammed shut and they didn’t want to wait for the jaws of life. They did manage to open the door thankfully, I didn’t care by this stage, I seen the ambulance officer holding my beautiful girl and she looked okay, her cries were hoarse as she’d been crying so long, and it was heartbreaking.
I remember singing to her in the back of the ambulance on the long drive back to the hospital, she kept spitting her dummy out.
I had a concussion, bad facial swelling, and bruising, 2 black puffy eyes, a large gash in my hair.
My body ached for weeks. My neck was jarred for around 8months.
No serious injuries or even stitches for either of us though! My 3 month old little girl was completely fine. And literally didn’t have a mark on her.
At the hospital, the worried faces of my Partner and Parents greeted me as they got the stretcher out and my partner scooped up our baby into his arms.
As we waited on my x rays, in the ER, he held our ‘starving’ baby to my breast and she fed.
With then a full belly, she was finally content. I couldn’t hold her for a few days as I was so sore.

Everything in my life was put into perspective from this moment on.
I appreciate the little things in life. And the absolute privilege it is to be hear and enjoy it.
I’m so appreciative and grateful for so much.
We went on to have 4 children together. Two Girls & Two Boys.
They are incredible and are my absolute world.
They are raised to value the little things and moments in life, we so easily take for granted.

My Daughter who survived this crash with me, is turning 12 this year. She has been told the story too. We are so lucky.
Never take things in life for granted, in the blink of an eye they can easily be taken away from you.

Posted by Aussie Mum to 4! 33yrs, 26th July 2022