FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – When you ask those closest to Grayson Hucks to describe her in one word, it would be determined.
She’s a determined young woman who strives to be the best student, daughter, and friend she can be, but what gained Hucks national attention was the fact that the was determined to fight death.
In May of 2015, crews rushed to the scene of a six-car-collision on Highway 17.
There, 19-year-old Hucks was pronounced dead when crews found her unconscious.
“I thought I was dreaming. I was like at what point am I going to wake up and it’s not going to be a dream. I just felt like I was having a nightmare,” said Hucks.
A nightmare that left her with a fractured left ulna, right kneecap, right tibia, and several head injuries, but still alive.
“Whenever I woke up, my first memory like in the hospital was my whole body was sore and I was coughing and spitting up all the fluid that was in my lungs. I thought it was a dream, honestly, I really did,” said Hucks.
She says she spent weeks at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center with little progress, and then she was transported to Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
“It was like out of nowhere, I hit the ground running, and I felt normal. I felt like I was back to normal, and they said that it would go down in history as the shortest visit there,” said Hucks.
After a year if many doctor visits, neuropsychology, speech therapy, and physical therapy, Hucks is already back in nursing school.
Tuesday night she was honored at Francis Marion University for her academic achievements and her willingness to help others.
“People are like I wish that I had the motivation to do the things that you do. I’m just like, well, you can, too. It’s not some abnormal thing. I mean, I give myself pep-talks on a daily basis. So, if that’s what you have to do, that’s what you have to do,” said Hucks.
When asked if she felt like life was getting back to normal, Hucks laughed and said “no”.
She says now life is about finding a new normal, and those closest to Grayson says it’s that attitude that is putting her on the quick road to recovery.
