Beautiful Jacqueline Saburido had a bright future ahead of her. But a drunk driver changed all that.
Her life changed completely after a tragic car accident that left 60% of her body disfigured.
It could have gone downhill from there. But it didn’t. In fact Jacqueline was interviewed in Oprah, by the Australian 60 Minutes show, and featured in a Discovery Health for face transplant.
Here Jacqueline’s story:
(Source www.mopo.ca)
Early on Sunday morning, September 19, 1999, Jacqueline Saburido, 20, and four friends were on their way home from a birthday party. Reggie Stephey, an 18-year-old star football player, was on his way home from drinking beer with some buddies. On a dark road on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, Reggie’s SUV veered into the Oldsmobile carrying Jacqui and the others. Two passengers in the car were killed at the scene and two were rescued. Within minutes, the car caught fire. Jacqui was pinned in the front seat on the passenger side. She was burned over 60% of her body; no one thought she could survive. But Jacqui lived. Her hands were so badly burned that she no longer can use them. She lost her hair, her ears, her nose, her left eyelid and much of her vision. She has had more than 40 operations since the crash and has many more to go.
Stephey cannot forgive himself for driving on that night. He’s aware of devastating Jacqueline Saburido’s life. In June 2001 Reggie Stephey was convicted of two counts of intoxication manslaughter for the deaths of Jacqui’s two friends. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined $20,000.
It’s a good thing that Jacqueline’s father and family have been very supportive, helping her fight every day to make progress. She says that children always look — some kids shout, some ask their mothers what happened, some follow, some hide; some call her a monster but the worst is when children cry.
But Jacqueline chooses to be happy together with her family who never judge her and give her love to the fullest.
Jacqui has since bravely used her tragedy to help others. She has allowed graphic post-accident photographs of herself to be used in the media (posters, TV commercials, and internet chain mail) to illustrate a possible outcome of a drunk driving accident. She is most well known for a commercial where she holds a pre-accident photo of herself in front of the camera, which she lowers to reveal her disfigured face and says "This is me, after being hit by a drunk driver."
So many times we are reminded of not drinking and driving. But some of us never think tragedy could strike us – or worse, that we could bring tragedy upon the lives of others – until it happens.
