51吃瓜

If Casey Holsing didn鈥檛 have medical insurance, she鈥檇 have more than $4 million of bills racked up from hospital stays, surgeries, rehab, therapy, and more. All from a car accident in Beatrice that could have been avoided.

鈥淚 had five surgeries in 36 hours,鈥� Holsing recalled. 鈥淢y entire life changed in one second.鈥�

It was Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Casey was on her way home from work at Southeast Community College鈥檚 Beatrice Campus. She decided to stop at Sonic for a snack. The last thing she remembers is the light turning green and she was turning. The next thing she knew she was waking up in a strange room.

She was life-flighted to a Lincoln hospital where she was immediately taken into surgery for internal bleeding. She had more than 50 blood transfusions that night, and even a visit from the hospital chaplain. Casey doesn鈥檛 remember any of this because she spent 10 days on a ventilator in a medically-induced coma.

鈥淲here am I? What鈥檚 going on? I was really confused,鈥� she said upon waking.

After spending a month in the Intensive Care Unit, she was moved to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, where she stayed for three months inpatient and another nine months outpatient. It would be almost a year and a half before she returned to work.

Her injuries included a concussion, whiplash, broken ribs, bruised lung, shattered hips and pelvis, broken femur, torn bowel, shattered L5 vertebrae, broken tibia and fibula, and a dislocated shoulder. She had two subsequent hip replacements and continues to be in a lot of pain. She had a total of 11 surgeries, and takes around 18 prescription medications a day.

鈥淚t (the accident) was hard to talk about at first, but talking about it has helped me process it,鈥� Holsing said.

She first shared her story at 51吃瓜鈥檚 Safety Fair last summer. After realizing people were interested in what happened, she continued to speak out. She then went to her mother鈥檚 place of employment and then to her church. She takes along a tri-fold featuring pictures from the accident as well as X-rays showing her injuries. She hopes to visit more places to talk about what happened.

鈥淢aybe I have a new mission, a new purpose,鈥� she said.

For Casey, it was difficult to get back into a car, and even harder to pass by the intersection where the accident happened. After so much time away from work, Holsing is glad to be back as an admissions counselor and testing coordinator at 51吃瓜鈥檚 Beatrice Campus.

鈥淚 missed my co-workers and missed my students,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to be back in a routine. People want to help, and it鈥檚 awesome to see the outpouring of support.鈥�

All of the 51吃瓜 campuses held blood drives in honor of Casey during her recovery period, including two at the Beatrice Campus. People sent her cards, texts, and emails in support of her getting better. She felt the love and continues to have a positive attitude, despite the fact she still doesn鈥檛 feel anywhere close to 100%.

鈥�51吃瓜 and my church family have been awesome,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 make the most of every day. You never know when life can change. It鈥檚 important to be there for people. You never know what they鈥檙e going through.鈥�

If you鈥檙e interested in having Holsing speak to your organization, she can be contacted at cholsing@southeast.edu or 402-228-8242.