The Accident by Christine Hickman

We all need some inspiration from time to time! So I decided to dedicate the month of April to “Overcoming Circumstances” on my blog.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would love to introduce you to Christine Hickman!

You would think that living with a physical barrier would shape someone for the worse; when in reality mine has done just the opposite. My name is Christine Hickman, and I overcame a horrific ATV accident in 2008. I was riding passenger on a Cub Cadet vehicle when three of my friends and I flipped the vehicle. Being the only one with my seatbelt on; I was trapped. The bar on the side of the vehicle trapped my right leg under the Cub Cadet. This resulted in my right leg being crushed from the knee down.


Waking up in the hospital I knew my life would be different. I had no idea how different it really would end up being.

Not wanting to fall behind in my classes I struggled to finish high school with my peers. All I wanted was to walk across the stage with the same group I had went through school with. I pushed myself to the limit to go through physical therapy and keep up with my schoolwork. Graduating in the top 5% of my class, and actually walking across the stage was the highlight of my recovery.

I have had five reconstructive surgeries, months of physical therapy, and many days of wanting to give up over the past five years to be able to walk again today.  I am still recovering physically, but I have grown tremendously mentally and spiritually. If I learned anything from my experiences as a handicap teenager, it would be that it is okay to be different. Sometimes it takes being in a wheel chair to get a different view of the world.

I would not change one thing that has happened to me over the past five years. People may stare and point at my scar, but I know what it took to be able to wear this scar with pride. Being different is a blessing in disguise.

 I know I have been able to experience life, and I will never take a day for granted. The growth I have taken from my experience has shaped me into a woman I would have never dreamed of becoming before my accident. Sometimes it takes a life-changing incident to make you realize what you are truly capable of.

Leave a Reply