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Business raises money for teenage quadriplegic
By Stefanie White McKinney Courier-Gazette
It looked like a typical Sunday evening at McAlister's Deli. A moderate crowd of people were having a good time and enjoying their meals. In the center of all the people was a vivacious teenage girl who was busy making the rounds with everyone.
Tonya Winchester was ready to live the college life. The 18-year old graduate from McKinney North High School was looking forward to her first semester at the University of North Texas in Denton where she hoped to study something in computers. With her dorm already paid for, the lively teen was counting down the days that she would have until she started college.
That day never came. Today, the girl who loved to play soccer and draw is wheelchair bound and paralyzed from the chest down. Her father, Gerry, who works in the engineering department at Raytheon, has been the family's sole provider. Her mother, Nelda, who also worked at Raytheon for 26 years, had to leave her job to care for her daughter full-time. The lives of the Winchester family changed in one night from one terrible accident. It was an accident that Gerry Winchester says he never thought would happen to any of his kids.
It was on June 16, 2005, that the recent high school graduate was out with three of her friends when they were approaching a 4-way stop. An 18-wheeler was also approaching that same stop. The driver of the car that Winchester was in decided to try to beat the 18-wheeler through the stop sign.
It happened in a split second. The driver of the 18-wheeler went through the stop sign and hit the passenger's side, throwing Tonya through the windshield. The teen landed headfirst on the cement and lost consciousness.
After being careflighted to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Winchester endured several life-threatening surgeries and was unable to communicate with anyone for three weeks. She had blood clots, was comatose and had several fractures from the accident. Along with her injuries, Winchester also had to undergo speech and physical therapy. Throughout her prolonged stay at three different hospitals, Nelda never left her daughter's side.
“I slept on a cot,” Nelda said.
The teenager finally came home after 18 months in the hospital. Considered a quadriplegic categorized as a C6 ASIA A, which is the worst type of spinal chord injury, Winchester is paralyzed from the chest down and can only move her arms and wrists up and down. She is not able to move her fingers or hands. Tonya says that the harsh reality came after she came home. She had to learn to learn how to use special tools to eat and use the computer. And the worst part came when she realized the meaning of true friends.
“I've really found out who my true friends are,” Winchester said.
The lifestyle change and frustration made the teen fall into a deep depression. It seemed that there would be no hope for Tonya.
It could be the only medical hope for the teen who wants to attend college and be independent. Stem cell treatment is not approved in the United States but overseas in China and South Korea, it has improved the lives of spinal chord patients. The treatment would hopefully boost Tonya's condition two or three levels, which would give her the use of her hands. Gerry says that this treatment is his daughter's only hope.
“We've got to seek this treatment,” Gerry said.
The treatment, along with airfare, the hotel stay and hospital stay is estimated at around $100,000. The Winchesters said that they have depleted everything and have enrolled Tonya in Medicaid. While insurance has helped pay for her surgeries and treatment, it does not pay for stem cell treatment. It was what made Sunday at McAlister's not typical. The restaurant is giving a portion of its proceeds to Tonya's Trust Fund that will assist in stem cell treatment expenses. Along with proceeds from this fundraiser, the Winchesters are also holding another fundraising event on May 6 at Southfork Ranch. And along with these fundraisers, Nelda says that their church, First Baptist Church of McKinney, has also been supportive, helping the family out with money and bringing them meals twice a week during their stay at the hospitals.
While there has been up and down times for Tonya Winchester, her mother says make no mistake that her daughter is a fighter.
“It's been evident with all the things she's gone through that she's a strong-willed girl,” Nelda said.
Gerry says that this accident has been a test for the family and has made them closer.
“We've had to use each other to lean on,” Gerry said.
And for Tonya, the accident and everything she's been through, it's made her realize what's important in life.
“After this, I realized that you can't take anything for granted.”
For more information on how you can donate to Tonya's stem cell treatment, check out her website at www.tonyawinchester.com.
Contact Stefanie White at stefanie.white@scntx.com.
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