Survivor of deadly crash shares her journey of recovery and hope
By Anahita Jafary
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TURLOCK, California (KCRA) — The sole survivor of a tragic crash in Turlock shares her journey of recovery and the loss of her family, highlighting the support she has received from loved ones and the community.
Emma Lourenco, 19, is working hard to walk her way back into a regular life.
“The goals that I have for the future kind of just involve going back to normal,” said Emma Lourenco, who is determined to regain a sense of normalcy after the accident.
Most things people take for granted, she diligently fought to regain.
“I can’t walk, for example, like I couldn’t walk at all. So I had to work up to that. Now I can,” she said. “December 15th was the day of the crash. I was in therapy from that day until like today, basically.”
She explained the challenges of relearning everyday tasks.
“Brushing your teeth, putting on your clothes, cooking all that stuff and then speech is obviously just talking, but also cognitive stuff. So it’s a little bit of both,” Lourenco said.
Last year, Lourenco and her family were driving to church when a speeding driver on Highway 165 crashed into their Jeep SUV. Her parents and the other driver died at the scene, while her brother and sister passed away shortly after. Lourenco survived after a week-long coma.
“I have no memory of the entire month of December or January,” Lourenco said, recounting the difficulty of processing the loss of her family.
She discovered the truth about the accident by searching online.
“I looked it up on Google, I looked up myself and I saw everything and that’s kind of how I found out,” she said. “My first thought was kind of like, they weren’t lying. It’s true. It did happen.”
Although her therapy has ended, Lourenco continues to face challenges in daily life.
“I would say it’s rough, but it does get better with time. I would say it definitely doesn’t heal. The loss is still there, but like your personal self will get better over time,” she said.
Lurenco plans to use her experience to help others, aspiring to become a physical therapist.
Throughout her recovery, the community has offered support.
“I was at the grocery store and a lady came up to me, and she was like, ‘I’m so grateful to see that you’re doing okay, that you’re healthy.’ And I was just—that kind of made my day,” Lourenco said.
Reflecting on the crash, Lourenco shared her biggest takeaway: “Just to be very grateful for everything that you do have and also very faithful.”
Lourenco says her grandparents, along with the rest of her family, have helped tremendously by supporting her and aiding her in her recovery. She has also turned to her faith in God and social media, like TikTok, as a form of therapy by sharing her story and answering questions for others experiencing grief and recovery.
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