By EMS1 Staff
FLORENCE, S.C. — After a paramedic was severely injured when a drunk driver struck her ambulance, her community is raising funds to help build her a new home.
Tessie Odom Smith, 47, was responding to a call March 9 when an impaired driver struck her ambulance head-on. Smith spent weeks on a hospital ventilator and was in the ICU for 28 days, reported SC Now. Her right leg was amputated above her knee, and she sustained several other serious injuries, including a broken femur, a fractured pelvis, spinal injuries, an anoxic brain injury and collapsed lungs.
As part of her road to recovery, she and her family are in the process of building a new home. So far, Smith has raised enough funds to purchase three acres of land and outline a set of construction plans. Springs Fire Chief Billy Dillon said around $40,000 is still needed to build Smith’s home.
“With the help of contractors, we are building Tessie an ADA-compliant home on her property in Pamplico,” Chief Dillon said. “We are planning to break ground close to the Christmas holidays and it should take a few months to build. We are hoping to raise at least $15,000 to go toward this project.”
A day-long lunch, dinner and bake sale benefit will be held Tuesday, Dec. 13. Anyone interested in donating can make checks payable to the “Tessie Strong Benefit.”