Marked for life by a violent road accident that cost her a leg and her dog, a 51-year-old trucker who can no longer live from her passion wants to “be useful to society” in another way.
On October 4, Isabelle Ouellet was on her way to her home in Bas-Saint-Laurent following a delivery, when the tragedy occurred on Highway 90, in Buffalo, in the United States.
An accident forced a major traffic slowdown just as a tow truck pulled into place right in front of his 18-wheeler truck, forcing him to brake suddenly and swerve out of his lane. But it was too little, too late.
Photo provided by Isabelle Ouellet
The accident occurred on October 4, on Highway 90 in Buffalo.
Under the force of the impact, her dog Louka, who was accompanying her, lost her life, while the carcass of her truck crashed into her.
His left foot was pierced, while his right leg got stuck under the sheet metal.
“To save me, the rescuers had no choice but to strip my leg. I was afraid of dying, I was draining my blood through the femoral artery, ”says the one who was rushed by helicopter to a hospital in Buffalo.
Photo provided by Isabelle Ouellet
His dog Louka, who accompanied him, died under the force of the impact.
A multitude of surgeries
Three weeks later, with her leg amputated and her life out of danger, Mr.me Ouellet was transferred to the Enfant-Jésus hospital in Quebec, where she had to undergo a multitude of surgeries to save her remaining foot.
However, the severity of her injuries will force her to move around with a walker, cane or wheelchair for the rest of her life.
Photo provided by Isabelle Ouellet
Isabelle Ouellet’s left foot was also pierced by an iron bar during the collision.
Keep morale
She will have to say goodbye to her job that she loved and forget her dream of working with her husband, who is also a truck driver.
“Our life has been completely turned upside down, but I’m at peace with it all,” says the 51-year-old woman, who had 20 years of trucking experience.
“After the operation, I looked at what I had left of my leg and thanked her for her sacrifice. She cushioned the shock and allowed me to be alive, ”she says, ensuring to keep my spirits up.
Wishing to “make herself useful to society” despite her handicap, Isabelle Ouellet would now like to teach the trade to future truckers. Her own way of staying in the universe that saw her grow up.
“I want to get out of it by sharing my passion with young people, I don’t intend to stay in my corner doing nothing!” she says.
To do this, however, she will have to be able to travel with the help of an adapted vehicle, a purchase that is beyond her means when the family salary has halved since the accident.
His relatives therefore launched a fundraising campaign on the GoFundMe platform to allow him to flourish despite his new condition.
A tedious recovery
- October 4, 2022: Accident near Buffalo, USA, and transport to Erie County Medical Center.
- October 8, 2022: Right leg amputation.
- October 25, 2022: Displacement from Buffalo to the Enfant-Jésus hospital in Quebec.
- November to December 2022: Several surgeries on the left foot to “save” it and ensure the healing of the right leg stump.
- December 21, 2022: Travel to the Charny Physical Disability Rehabilitation Center.
- 2023 to 2024: Rehabilitation to improve the mobility of the left leg and learn to move with different devices.
