Amber Marcy wearing her Ms. Wheelchair Michigan crown.
Interested in this content package?
By Bethany Broadwell
On June 23, 1996, Amber Marcy was leading the fun and fast-paced routine of an active 15-year-old living in the quaint resort community of Saugatuck, Mich.
Known for its art galleries and Lake Michigan location, the city draws thousands of tourists during the summer.
Having just completed her freshman year at Saugatuck High School, Marcy was enjoying spending time with her older sister Shannon and friends before going to her part-time job at the Brigadoon clothing store.
Her parents, Roger and Laurie, were working on the family’s houseboat when they received the cautiously vague call. A dispatcher indicated that minor injuries had occurred in an accident, involving their vehicle, off Gleason Road, south of 63rd Street. They needed to get to Holland Hospital.
Amber says her memory of the incident is sketchy: “I was sleeping in the back of my father’s cargo van. I woke up to frantic friends and (my) sister. I could not move. Talking and breathing were nearly impossible. I was terrified...had no idea what had happened to me. Living in a small town, I knew the police officers and first responders personally. When they arrived, I had never felt such relief.”
When Laurie arrived at the hospital, she was met by a chaplain who wanted to "prepare" her for what she was about to learn.
The van Shannon was driving and Amber was riding in landed in a pothole large enough to stop the vehicle abruptly. When Amber flew forward, her head slammed into the back of one of the front seats. No one else was seriously hurt, but Amber had a spinal cord injury.
From Holland Hospital, the girl had to be transported via ambulance to Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich., for emergency surgery to stabilize her spinal cord.
Both Amber and her mother recall the distress of watching the trauma team cut off her clothing. As the teenager was wheeled into surgery, she asked her mom: "Can you call Brigadoon and tell them I probably won't be there today?"
Laurie says, “I remember feeling the most fear I had ever experienced in my lifetime and wanting to hold her the entire time the doctors were operating.”
Roger describes the day of the accident as unending. “It was a day of confusion, worry, hope and love.” He continues, “Looking back, the day seemed surreal—a terrible dream that wouldn't let go. I wanted so badly to take her place. I was mad at God for letting this happen to her. They say everything happens for a reason; I could not find one.”
Amber and her family eventually learned her diagnosis.
She had sustained an incomplete spinal cord injury at the C-6/7 level, meaning she would have full feeling in her limbs, but minimal ability to move them. Through rehabilitation, she would be extremely lucky to have full use of her arms. Her hands were affected, too. Today, it is remarkable, that she can still use them to accomplish tasks without the use of splints.
In Amber’s time of deep despair, Laurie says her daughter drew on one of her most fundamental characteristics. The family’s pediatrician advised years ago that Laurie read "The Strong-Willed Child," by James Dobson, because the young girl was so determined about matters important to her. “Amber questioned everything and stood her ground on absolutely everything,” says Laurie. “Little did I know at the time that God was prepping her for later things in life. That strong will has served her well.”
When Amber learned she was going to be transferred to a rehab hospital as opposed to going directly home, she says she was terrified because she knew she was forever changed. She knew she would need a wheelchair, catheters and medication just to function.
Her parents visited Mary Free Bed Rehab Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich., prior to Amber’s arrival. As frightened as they were, themselves, Roger and Laurie presented the transfer to their daughter in the best possible light. They assured Amber: “People get better there. You will have your own room and learn how to adjust to your new life.”
As scary as it was for the 15-year-old to proceed to rehab, she was ready to be out of the actual hospital.
It took about a week for Amber to feel settled at Mary Free Bed. Her days were busy with therapy and her evenings were full with visitors. She describes, “I made friends with the staff and other patients. It became home to me. I had my own room with all my stuff...my own phone. I was super cool now. It was like having my own apartment for the first time.”
Liz Wilson, a longtime Marcy family friend and Saugatuck High School staff member, says, “When Amber's accident happened, the entire community was in shock and disbelief. The outpouring of support was amazing. Her hospital room was covered wall-to-wall with well wishes, and there were always tons of visitors. We usually had to take turns to get in to see her. I think we even smuggled a kitten in my purse for her to see!”
Roger says Amber really started surprising him after her accident. “She would pull other injured children around Mary Free Bed from her chair.” He explains, “Though at that time she was on an emotional roller coaster, she managed to make a sad place very happy for a lot of people with serious injuries.”
Amber’s mother agrees the girl demonstrated a remarkable attitude during rehab: “She made many friends at Mary Free Bed--nurses, patients, therapists, visitors.” Laurie continues, “We cried the day she left because Amber, along with myself and her dad, had become very close with all of the staff.”
Leaving Mary Free Bed was more terrifying than arriving, according to Amber. “I was leaving my comfort zone and scared to death. I cried. I was going to miss my new friends and all the staff. It was time to face the world in a chair...and I was not really feeling it!”
Returning to school the following Monday was a bittersweet moment for her. She was eager to be with her friends, but she was dealing with the unanswerable question of why this accident had happened to her.
Joe Bagierek, a fellow high school student, said word of the accident spread around Saugatuck quickly, because it is such a small town. “My dad's friend from college was paralyzed in a sledding accident during school, but I had never known anyone as close as a classmate that had sustained such an injury. I remember it was hard for everyone to believe that Amber was hurt that bad.”
Through the tough times, Amber still managed to experience plenty of teenage fun. She attended prom and homecoming all four years she was in high school. During her sophomore year, she was on the homecoming court.
Efforts had to be made to update Saugatuck High School structurally, because the building was constructed in 1974 and therefore it was not fully wheelchair accessible. Amber had to use the office health room to meet her personal care needs. Teachers needed to make occasional accommodations for her to complete her assignments. She had gone from being an athletic student who played volleyball and basketball to someone who had to struggle to write.
No matter the challenges, Amber succeeded in graduating on time with her peers. The local newspaper celebrated her achievement by covering the fact that she accepted her diploma from a wheelchair.
“All of us were amazed that she did manage to graduate with her class,” says Wilson. “It showed her determination that this was not going to stop her from living the life she wanted.”