A Parent’s Worst Nightmare
Parents Mick and Laramie Lundy were scanning the crowd looking for their son. Cory’s absence at the high school basketball game was beginning to worry them.
Laramie looked at her phone and noticed she had several voicemail messages. As she listened to the messages, her face went pale. Mick knew something was horribly wrong.
It was every parent’s worst nightmare, their son had been in a crash.
They rushed to the hospital where Cory, a junior at Beavercreek High School, had been taken by helicopter. Cory suffered a traumatic brain injury; a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. Doctors later discovered internal bleeding and immediately performed a second surgery.
As the news of Cory’s crash spread throughout the community, students and parents began to arrive at the hospital. At one point there were as many as 100 people at the hospital supporting Cory.
Cory spent six days in the ICU in a medically induced coma. He spent six weeks in the hospital followed by months of rehabilitation and two years of physical therapy. He had to relearn the most basic skills.
Experience is the best teacher
Mick, a State Farm Agent, believes inexperience played a role in his son’s 2010 crash. Cory, 17 at the time and a newly licensed driver, overcorrected and hit a guardrail which caused his truck to go airborne.
When it flipped, Cory was thrown from the vehicle because he wasn’t wearing his seat belt. “You would think, being the son of an insurance agent, he would wear his seat belt, but he didn’t,” said Mick.
Today Cory has fully recovered. He graduated high school on time, is a team member in Mick’s office, and is a full-time student at Clark State University.
Cory encourages others to learn from his experience. “Please use your seat belt and pay attention to the Drive ALIVE program. Two hands on the wheel and two eyes on the road will save lives and prevent crashes,” said Cory.
Mick shares this experience with parents when they come to his office with a new driver. “I always talk to our customers about how life can change on a dime. It’s my responsibility to help them be the best prepared if the worst does happen,” said Mick.
“I talk about Cory’s crash and let them know that it should have never, ever happened, but unfortunately, it did. Helping families be prepared is what my job is all about. Hoping it doesn’t happen is not a plan, a plan is a plan,” shared Mick.
True Professionals
Mick returns to Miami Valley Hospital, where his son was cared for, to talk about the crash. He talks with groups of young adults and their parents about his son and teen driver safety.
Mick tells the groups, “I always thank the doctors, nurses, therapists and administrators whenever I see them. Five and half years later we still keep in touch with two of the nurses, a therapist and a few administrators that helped us. They were all true professionals.”
Earlier this year, Mick was honored to present Miami Valley Hospital with a State Farm grant to support a program called Drive ALIVE. The grant helps reproduce teen driver safety program materials for area high schools.
When Mick walked into the auditorium for the check presentation he was greeted by one of the Trauma Nurses who cared for Cory during his stay. Cory’s Speech Therapist was also there with a warm welcome.
Ironically, the same day as the check presentation, Mick’s daughter obtained her driver’s license. Kayla waited until she was 17 ½ to get her license because of what her brother experienced. His crash made her more cautious and a bit nervous.
This experience has forever changed Mick and his entire family. Mick shares, “It made us closer. We watched a young man go through more than anyone should ever go through. He is strong and God left him here for a reason. I firmly believe that Cory is destined for unbelievable accomplishments in his life.”