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Community breaks ground on new home for SC paramedic

Tessie Odom Smith, 47, had her right leg amputated when her ambulance was struck by a drunk driver last year

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Paramedic Tessie Odom Smith

Photo courtesy GoFundMe page

By EMS1 Staff

PAMPLICO, S.C. — After a paramedic lost her leg in an ambulance crash last year, her community has begun construction on her new home.

Tessie Odom Smith, 47, had her right leg amputated when her ambulance was struck by a drunk driver in March 2016, reported WMBF. Smith spent 28 days in intensive care following the crash.

Her right leg was amputated above the knee, and she sustained several other serious injuries, including a broken femur, a fractured pelvis, spinal injuries, an anoxic brain injury and collapsed lungs.

Since then, her community has rallied behind her and raised funds for her medical costs and new home that will accommodate her needs.