Written by Samantha Holschbach
Last Thursday afternoon, senior Samy Dillon was leisurely running with fellow cross-country runners when the unthinkable happened: She was hit by a van, shattering her lower right leg and breaking her left hand and cheekbone.
“I just completely didn’t see the car, and the car didn’t see me,” Dillon said.
Dillon was at the intersection of Arch and Main Street around 4:30 p.m. when she and her teammates Katy Grant and Hagen Atkins tried to cross Main Street, a three-lane road. When Dillon tried to cross the road, however, she was struck by a southbound mini-van.
“It all seemed like a dream,” Dillon said. “I kept asking God to help me.”
An off-duty paramedic in a nearby car rushed to the accident scene before Dillon was transported to the hospital via ambulance. Dillon then underwent surgery Friday morning to have a metal rod implanted in her lower right leg because it had been completely shattered. Her lower right leg and left hand are currently immobilized in casts. In two weeks, her leg will be placed in a removable brace, permitting her to swim. During Christmas break she will transition to crutches, and around early February she will be able to put weight on her injured leg. Dillon’s doctor said she should be able to start running by the end of spring semester and, ultimately, have a full recovery.
Despite the arduous road to recovery, Dillon views her situation with utter optimism. She said her injuries could have been a lot worse, as she does not contend with any joint problems or neck or back injuries. Even though she will miss track season, she looks forward to otheractivities she will do instead.
“I’ll definitely miss it [track], but I’m sure I’ll have a lot of neat experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise,” Dillon said.
Dillon said she credits her family, friends and visitors for helping her maintain a positive outlook on her situation.
Upon hearing the news, Dillon’s parents and sister rushed to Searcy from Austin, Texas, to be present for Friday’s surgery. Assistant Dean of Students Sheri Shearin was also present in the hospital to comfort Dillon’s parents, as was Dillon’s dorm mom Katrina Timms and her church minister later on. Dillon said her cross-country coach Steve Guymon “has been a huge help.”
Dillon’s mom, Pam, will stay at Harding until Sunday to assist Dillon in any way she needs. Vicky Walton of the Heritage Inn allowed Pam to stay in the inn free of charge because of the situation.
“I’m just so grateful to our Lord and Savior that Samy’s injuries were not more serious,” Pam said. “It’s not a lifelong injury.”
While Dillon is leaning on her friends and family for support, she said she’s also leaning heavily on another resource — God.
“Samy is probably one of the toughest people I know,” Grant said. “She’s just such a follower of God.”
Indeed, Dillon said she has entrusted God with her life, which she believes was graciously and knowingly spared.
“He saw my life fit to stick around a bit longer,” Dillon said, choking back tears. “I know he wants to use me. I’m excited about that.”
