Emilie Gossiaux And Alan Lundgard: Love Brings Healing For Student Hit By Semi Truck

When 21-year-old art student Emilie Gossiaux set out on her bike one fall morning in Brooklyn, she expected to arrive at her internship -- not a hospital bed.

Gossiaux was struck by an 18-wheel semi truck and suffered brain damage, a stroke and fractures of her head, leg and pelvis. She was rushed to the hospital.

For weeks, her devoted mother and father -- and boyfriend Alan Lundgard -- took shifts waiting by Gossiaux's bedside. She was mostly unresponsive, but they refused to give up, they told WNYC's Radiolab in a recent interview.

Once her condition was stabilized, doctors said she wasn't eligible to be moved to a rehabilitation program because she couldn't respond to commands. Her eyes wouldn't follow visual stimuli and she'd been hearing impaired since childhood.

Without a chance at rehabilitation, Gossiaux would be left at a nursing home with little chance of recovery.

Lundgard believed the woman he loved would come back to him. He turned to the Internet to read up on Helen Keller.

Keller's story inspired him. In the wee hours of the night, waiting by her bedside, he decided to replicate the method of communication Keller's teacher used: spelling words on her palm.

He wrote: I LOVE U.

Immediately, Gossiaux responded.

Excitedly, Lundgard documented her words, using his cell phone to record their interactions as she answered question after question.

Finally, he had the proof he needed to show the doctors Gossiaux could go to rehabilitation and had a chance at recovery.

LISTEN:

(audio originally from Radiolab.org)

Gossiaux is now recovering at New York's Rusk Institute. She has lost her sight, but can still hear with the use of the hearing aids she's worn most of her life.

Despite her blindness, she plans to continue to make art. Her hands, not her eyes, will dictate her creations now.

Faced with overwhelming medical bills, Gossiaux is accepting donations online on EmilieGossiaux.com to help cover the bills. So far, over $40,000 has been raised -- out of her total goal of $200,000.

Supporters can learn more about Emilie and make a donation to help her on her website.

Comments

[BillOlson]

08:52 PM on 03/07/2011

I was a little caught off guard here... I'm not sure what I was expecting to read, but this story brought tears to my eyes. If only we could all experience, or have the opportunity to give, so much love!

[OKSunny]

12:30 PM on 03/08/2011

me too!!!!

beware the dangers of reading the impact page at work!!

[fds]

02:49 PM on 03/05/2011

Who the hell wrote this story?

[SemperVeritas]

07:17 PM on 03/05/2011

15 whole fans, huh?

Open your heart, friend.

[CuteAndVicious]

07:46 AM on 03/06/2011

I only have 6. Does this mean that I feel any less for this young woman? Open your mind, pal.

[fds]

09:27 PM on 03/06/2011

I don't idolize virtual strangers who click buttons in my favor.

[Susan Osterhout Troiano]

02:40 PM on 03/05/2011

I am so glad her boyfriend didn't take her Doctors word. Sometimes you need someone else s perspective to see the light and start being creative in finding away to reach someone. His love for her and not giving up. True love.

[llstudent]

02:01 PM on 03/05/2011

Love is what this world should be and this man proves it.

[Jessica Erin]

11:37 AM on 03/05/2011

shouldn't the medical bills be passed on to the driver of the semi truck?

[Mondieu]

12:28 PM on 03/10/2011

Exactly!!

[InYourWorld]

01:05 AM on 03/11/2011

How do we know the truck driver was at fault?

[ctrain030]

09:24 AM on 03/05/2011

This is a perfect example as to why we need President Obama's Health Care reform! There are so many families in similar situations who could never afford these medical bills and end up in bankruptcy. We need to stop acting like a Jerry Springer studio audience and see the true value in this bill. Universal health care would be a blessing to this family right now.

[samoht 22]

11:32 PM on 04/02/2011

The $200,000 is for the second cochlear implant. Insurance paid for the first implant. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/dreyfoos-graduate-works-her-way-back-after-what-1145256.html?page=2

[VtPoet]

08:26 AM on 03/05/2011

The medical bill should be sent to two people and one organization: John Beohner, Mitch McConnel and the RNC. Let those SOBs figure out how to pay for it.

[MarkAurelius]

08:14 AM on 03/05/2011

Wow! Makes you wonder how many people are given up on because there isn't someone that determined.

[librainstars]

08:30 PM on 03/05/2011

so true..now thats true love he never gave up on her. Nor her on him.

[HockeyGirl74]

12:23 PM on 03/10/2011

That is exactly what I was thinking.

[themainpoint]

07:19 AM on 03/05/2011

Goes to show what thinking for yourself can accomplish. Good for him.

[jimmyjones22]

07:02 AM on 03/05/2011

$200,000 medical bill?

Most f****** system in the world.

[nelore]

08:21 AM on 03/05/2011

it will easily cost $5000.00 just go to an emergency room for 4 hours. I wish I had a lot of money to help these folks out. I am paying over $ 6000.00 for a couple of visits by my son at this time.

[Rod-iron-girl]

10:23 AM on 03/08/2011

Not knowing the whole story, it looks like she does not have insurance and something is wrong with the truck driver's insurance.

Having recently gone through some nasty medical stuff, I got the hospital and doctor bill breakdowns from my health insurance company. A $165,000 hospital stay was reduced to $57,000 because of the contract my insurer has with that particular hospital.

Joe Blow that walks in without insurance does not get the benefit of that contracted amount.

The medical bill is tragic but the system itself is worse. I'd like to have bargaining power on my medical bills.

Having been through this... I just wonder, seriously... how do people without insurance do this?

[athenalong]

04:46 AM on 03/05/2011

This should prove to people that doctors DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING.

One of the greatest mistakes people make when dealing with medical professionals, is forgetting that THEY ARE HUMAN JUST LIKE THEM.

Always, always, remain curious and question.

[inthelandoftheblind]

10:53 AM on 03/05/2011

Good advice.Unfortunately, that's often not enough.It seems the patient is often working against fitting into narrowly preconceived guidelines.If you have only horrific pain & observation, as your information to go on, & they discount your input as their starting point, one who can't communicate is left with even fewer options!

It took me about 9 yrs to get an MRI for what was likely a dislocated shoulder. In the meantime,every area of my life & marriage went down the drain. I was left to work it out myself, along with some chiropractic visits, though that took several years,& wasn't enough to re-seat the shoulder joint.

Gardening, in the end, was my salvation.It motivated me to push through, using the pain to guide me - as to finding ways to work with & around it, informing me where to push & where to hold back, while providing a range of challenges.By the time one very good doctor realized what I'd been dealing with, & authorized an MRI, there was a large tear, for which I'll require surgery.

It's not the 1st time I'd been awaiting diagnosis for years while my life on hold.There were 2 other debilitating conditions,one of which finally ended in surgery - which could've been avoided.They are apparently more driven to hold down costs in the diagnostic phase, to please the insurers, rather than to help the patient to live a pain free, active life.

[athenalong]

10:59 AM on 03/05/2011

So sorry to hear of your troubles.

That is a travesty that your recovery has been delayed/denied for so long.

I hope that you recover and live a pain-free, active, and happy life =]

[Jim Shaffer]

04:18 AM on 03/05/2011

How many in America don't get saved because they can't afford rehabilitation?

[MJinCanada]

04:33 PM on 03/06/2011

Starting in Arizona....who knows?

[Trittydi]

03:41 AM on 03/05/2011

The Helen Keller story has always been one of my favorites so I found this particularly wonderful ... what an amazing guy!! What a lucky girl!!
*

[PaulCircharo]

11:42 PM on 03/04/2011

unbelievable story, the power of love lol. cool photo.

[Abdel AlHabbo]

11:20 PM on 03/04/2011

god that girl looks exactly like Emily Henochowitz, the girl in the gaza flotilla! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHBdtek75uc
God bless them both!