Warning: This article contains graphic images which some readers may find distressing.
Gráinne Kealy has shared her harrowing experience following a car crash in which she had her feet on the dashboard, leading to severe injuries that required doctors to ‘put her face back together’.
On December 16, 2006, while traveling from Galway to Laois, Ireland, with her boyfriend, the Jeep they were in skidded on ice, causing an accident.
The then-22-year-old recounted to LADbible, describing the accident as not particularly ‘terrible’, despite the vehicle crashing into a wall.
Although her boyfriend sustained a broken nose, Kealy’s injuries were significantly more serious.
Reflecting on the incident, she said, “I probably would have walked away from it with very little injuries had I not had my feet on the dashboard.”
“Because my feet were on the dashboard, they were literally resting on top of the airbag. When it deployed, which happens at about 120 miles an hour, it pushed my knees into my face and broke every bone in my face. I had a CSF leak, lost teeth, and had brain seizures after it.”
According to John Hopkins Medicine, “Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, providing a cushion for these delicate tissues.”
Immediate medical attention is required for a CSF leak, highlighting the seriousness of Kealy’s condition.
Doctors were initially unable to offer Kealy’s parents even a ’50-50 chance’ of recovery.
Kealy underwent an extensive surgery lasting ’10-and-a-half hours’ to reconstruct her face.
“They pretty much put my face back together,” she stated. “I like to say it was a little bit like Humpty Dumpty.”
However, five months later, complications arose when her forehead bone, or ‘bone flap’, became infected.
Unaware of the situation’s severity, Kealy recalls questioning her neurosurgeon’s suggestion to wear headscarves, associating them with older women.
She remembers asking, “How bad is this going to be? Like a headscarf, right?”
“I woke up and I was still very swollen, so I didn’t notice the effect immediately,” she recalls. “I don’t think I was fully prepared.”
Kealy soon realized her forehead was ‘just sunk in’ without any ‘bone there to hold the skin’.
She admits she continues to grapple with the aftermath of her accident, acknowledging its significant impact on her self-esteem and social life as a young woman.
She reflected, “I had no forehead for two years. It’s surreal to think I lived through that. I don’t know how I did it.”
Now, Kealy has a ‘beautiful Italian ceramic forehead’, crafted specifically for her using advanced ‘3D CAT scans’.
Though she experiences ‘bad days’ and suffers from ‘neck and shoulder pain’ from years of keeping her head down, she feels compelled to speak out.
Kealy emphasized, “I see it [feet on car dashboard] so often and it terrifies me. The thought of anyone enduring what I have sends shivers down my spine.”
“It’s a simple truth, but people still do it. It’s incredibly dangerous. Even if the car’s parked, it’s just not worth the risk. I promise you.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, assistance is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to access a 24-hour crisis center, or use the webchat at 988lifeline.org. The Crisis Text Line is also reachable by texting MHA to 741741.