I have made new dreams and memories in Mammoth… YOU ALL ROCK!!!!
a letter from student Ariana Sandoval

Ariana Sandovall and her niece

On a sunny April afternoon in 2005, I instantly lost my consciousness in a hit and run accident on the freeway. I was thrown over 40 feet. The truck had air borne 7 revolutions before it came to a stop. I had a severe head injury, spinal cord injury, fractures of my cervical and thoracic vertebrae, liver lacerations, multiple rib fractures and left arm fracture. I lost a childhood friend that day in the ICU room next to mine. I did not get a chance to say good bye. I was in a coma for the funeral. It was a few weeks before my high school graduation. I graduated but did not attend my graduation. I was still in a coma. College acceptances were on my desk at home. My life was put on hold.

Ariana Sandoval and her instructors

My traumatized parents took me home after a month in the hospital. I was still in a coma and the doctors told my parents that since I was on a ventilator, tube fed, and on IV medications it would be better to put me in a nursing home. I was also progressing further away into a vegetative state. My brain responses were not there. My parents' heart response was to take me home to care for me around the clock.

Ariana Sandoval rides the lift with her instructors

I woke up at home and could not feel anything below my neck. I could not move. I felt confused and had a hard time staying awake. Light would bother my eyes. I could not breathe, read , write, eat, or talk. My Mom worked with me everyday. Stretching, electrical stimulation, sitting me up, putting me in a standing machine…. Speech therapy, physical therapy, swallow therapy, writing …. She made me try to do everything over and over again. She said I fought hard to live. She wanted to be sure that I could do things on my own again.

For months I took a shower on a gurney with 5 people to help me get on it, wash my hair and body. Now after 2 years, I can transfer with help on a shower chair and then just wheel myself into a shower and wash my hair all by myself. I can blow-dry my hair, brush my teeth, even floss all by myself now. I can use the computer again. I took an online course on animal technical skills to see if my brain could learn new things. My Mom was so happy when I completed the course without much difficulty. I am in the middle of a writing course now.

Ariana Sandoval on the snowy slopes

In 2 years I had accomplished a lot. I can even eat with chopsticks and taught myself to play a guitar! I was getting ready to see if I could make the drive to Mammoth for the first time after this accident. I could barely handle a 1 hour drive without extreme back pain. Now I had to endure a 6 hour trip. I was depressed at the idea of sitting in the lodge drinking hot cocoa. All of my high school friends had pretty much moved on with their lives and I did not know how I would ever meet anyone in this new body of mine. I was so confused about my self image and confidence.

I was sad that I could not teach my 3 year old niece how to ski. I tried to be happy and packed a book to read, a sketch pad to draw and my guitar to play. I thought that the memories of snowboarding with my family was all I had left of Mammoth. The night before our trip, my Mom came to me with a plan to get me on the snow with the help of the Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra group. I was so excited I could not sleep. I knew that she was worried about me getting hurt physically. She told me she was more worried about me hurting so much emotionally. I had to trust people I had never met to get me out there safely.

Ariana Sandoval on the snowy slopes

In blizzard like conditions, my team took me out for my first time. When I felt the snow on my face with EL, Anita and Terry around me, I felt so alive. I watched Terry on his mono ski in front of me carefully. I asked so many questions and the answers were quick, funny and sometimes scary. I felt so free coming down the mountain. On the next day, which was also snowy and windy, I had new friends with me as well, Ken and Justin. Thank you for getting me up on the chair lift. All of the face plants made me feel so strong. I know that sounds strange but the more I fell the more I grew in confidence.

I did not die! I lived. I am not just living anymore. Once I came off the snow, I can say for certain that I am now truly ALIVE. I want to try so many things. I want to climb and ride again. I will drive again. I hope to see all of you every break I get. I look forward to all my winters, springs, falls and summers! I thank you all for your friendships. I feel that I have met people of greatness. Terry you are an inspiration to me. Thank you for letting me ride in your new all terrain contraption to get back to my van easier! Thank you all for looking me in the eye when we met and treating me like a person. I thank you all for the patience. I cannot imagine how I would have continued this life without having met such great hearts. I hope to one day help others in any way I can.

I am still smiling…I have made new dreams and memories in Mammoth… YOU ALL ROCK!!!!

Love, Ariana