For her, this Thanksgiving is special: Constance Parrish has recaptured her life
following Lewiston motorcycle wreck that put her into a coma
Brad W. Gary, The Lewiston Morning Tribune, Idaho
On this Thanksgiving morning, Constance (Coni) Parrish is grateful to the rescuers.
Critically injured in a motorcycle accident 15 months ago, Parrish spent seven weeks in a coma
before beginning a road to recovery that will continue through this holiday season.
"I want to thank everybody; I'm so thankful for my life," said Parrish, who joyously credits
physical therapy for helping her walk again.
Parrish, 38, suffered a head injury and broke her jaw in 13 places Aug. 7, 2008, after the front
tire of the motorcycle she was riding struck the back tire of another on Lewiston's 11th Avenue.
Nobody could tell how she would recover during the ensuing weeks at St. Joseph Regional
Medical Center, her husband Kelly Parrish said. She couldn't walk when she awoke, and still
doesn't remember much about the accident. She does remember months of being envious of
the nurses and doctors walking by her room at St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute in Spokane.
"I remember being in Spokane and looking through this long hallway, hating it because I could
not walk," she said. She went back to that hallway recently to take a walk, a sign of her recovery
that surprised the hospital staff and made her proud of how far she's come.
Kelly Parrish and their 13-year-old son Bo were thankful when her recovery allowed her to
return home the day before Thanksgiving a year ago. When she was in a coma, Bo Parrish made
an acrostic alphabet book as part of a school assignment listing the qualities he loved about his
mother.
"My son is the most wonderful thing in my life," she said, gesturing toward the book. "I'm going
to keep that forever."
Parrish is especially thankful to those who made these moments possible. She's grateful to the
police and the ambulance personnel who picked her up off the pavement and kept her alive on
the way to the hospital. Personnel at SPORT Physical Therapy, St. Joe's, St. Luke's, and North
Idaho Advanced Care Hospital in Post Falls have enabled her to again find a semblance of a
recovery that is continuing.
Her mother-in-law, Linda Henderson, recently helped Parrish write a letter to the police who
helped save her that day in August. Parrish is eager to thank everyone for saving her, and
providing the support to further her abilities.
The injection of enzymes to allow her jaw to heal quickly has been followed by an aggressive
practice of regular physical therapy and water walking classes at the Asotin County Family
Aquatic Center twice a week.
Surgery has repaired injuries to her face suffered in the crash. It's only been a week since four
teeth were implanted to replace those lost in the accident, something that will allow her to
whistle for the dogs again in the back yard.
She's begun to do laundry, and makes it down the stairs a few steps at a time. She's begun
grocery shopping by ordering online from the Schwan's delivery service.
"It's not quick enough," she said, lamenting the inability to do certain tasks but hoping to again
drive her car. One side of her body doesn't work as well as it should after her head was injured,
she said.
Parrish hopes to get on a fishing boat sooner or later, something she's not quite comfortable
doing until she can swim around the boat.
She doesn't plan to return to another pastime.
"I'm never going to ride a motorcycle again ever," she said, "I'm going to ride a tank or a
Humvee instead."
She sold the salvageable parts of her motorcycle to a neighbor. Kelly Parrish intends to sell his
motorcycle in the spring.
Eventually, she hopes to return to her job at Clearwater Paper, Which Parrish notes was called
Potlatch Corp. when she last walked into the mill.
Today, they'll go to Kelly Parrish's parents house where she'll help make steelhead dip from
cream cheese. She'll give thanks to those people who have helped her along the way.
"I'm very thankful for my life," she said. "I hope to get further."
Gary may be contacted at bgary@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2262.
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Copyright (c) 2009, The Lewiston Morning Tribune, Idaho