Kentish Express Ashford & District
‘My world was smashed’
Victim of Tesco horror crash speaks of ordeal as driver avoids jail Mum Victoria Isaacs, 33, defied doctors - but faces long recovery
‘IT’S BEEN COMPLETELY LIFE-CHANGING’
An Ashford mum has spoken about the life-changing impact of a nightmare accident that left her fighting for her life.
Victoria Isaacs, 33, who lives near the town centre, was mown down by an elderly driver while waiting to get her car cleaned in the car park of Tesco’s Crooksfoot supermarket in February.
The former hygiene operative suffered extensive injuries, including serious brain damage, and was given a 0% chance of survival by doctors.
But even though Miss Isaacs beat the odds, she has had to give up her job, her driving licence and most of her independence.
Speaking exclusively to the Kentish Express, she said: “I don’t remember anything from the accident but it has had a huge impact on absolutely every aspect of my life.
“I am still very much in recovery and will be for the rest of my life. Things will never be the same again.”
The mum-of-one has irreversible brain damage and suffers daily with headaches, back pain, anxiety, fatigue, muscle pain and a host of other problems.
Her mother Letty McKean left her Tunbridge Wells home on the day of the accident, moved in with her daughter and her six-year-old granddaughter and has provided 24-hour care ever since.
Miss Isaacs added: “Fatigue is a big thing for me. I am constantly tired, I wake up tired and some days I can’t even get up.
“I used to be very confident and happy with my life but now I have no confidence at all.”
Pensioner Roy Smith, of Riverview, was at the wheel of his Renault Scenic during a shopping trip to the store off Hythe Road, Willesborough when it struck Miss Isaacs, who had been standing on the pavement near the car wash.
He had been driving to the supermarket with his wife when he hit the accelerator rather than the brake.
In just seconds the nightmare left a trail of destruction, as his car smashed into two parked cars, a number of bollards and hit Miss Isaacs.
She was flown to St George’s Hospital in London where she spent nearly six weeks on lifesupport in a coma and doctors told her family she had 0% chance of survival.
But on March 13, doctors stopped her sedation and after a few hours, she started moving.
Miss Isaacs added: “I don’t remember waking up. I was non-responsive, I couldn’t speak, couldn’t walk, I had one eye up and one eye down.
“My family were told that it was as good as I was going to get.”
But weeks later, and more than 10 weeks after the accident, Miss Isaacs started responding and entered a gruelling rehabilitation programme.
She now has a team of doctors working on her care plan, funded by the car insurance company of Mr Smith. She said: “Three days before the accident I had been saying ‘I love my life, my life is perfect.” I had been with my partner 13 years, I have a great family, then my whole world got picked up and smashed. “James Leban, my neurosurgeon, said in 33 years he has never seen anyone survive the injuries I had. “I don’t know what I would do without my mum. “We were extremely close before the accident, but we are like magnets now. “It’s been completely lifechanging, not only for me but
‘I wasn’t given a 1% chance, I was given 0%. I was knocking on heaven’s door, but I’m here today’
for my family and my child.
“I would like this not to have happened. I just want everything to be okay, I want it to be back to normal.
“But I know I’m lucky that I’m here to see my daughter grow up, she’s everything to me. I feel so blessed that I still get to see my beautiful girl.
“I was brought up to get on with things. Yes things are hard but that’s life and you have to keep going.
“Because of my severe injuries, no one thought I would survive. I have heard that I’m a miracle a thousand times.
“I wasn’t given a 1% chance, I was given 0%. I was knocking on heaven’s door but I’m here today.
“I feel that I’m a fighter and I want to give people hope to not turn that life support off, to keep going.”