Aftershock of accident

Update: Three students recuperate from injuries after accident over break

Three Liberty University students were involved in a life-threatening car accident Nov. 21, the first day of Thanksgiving break.

Chris Kaminski, Aubrey Paulding and Jane Jyung were carpooling to Mount Dora, Florida to spend a few days with the Holland family, friends of Paulding and Jyung.

The three brothers of the Holland family are all Liberty students and were on their way to Central Florida as well.

“I opened my eyes and saw a big tree, then I lost my consciousness,” Jyung said.

The two injured passengers, Paulding and Jyung, are both sophomore students in the nursing program at Liberty.

The crash occurred less than 30 minutes away from their destination. Sophomore Kaminski was the driver of the vehicle.

They were approaching an intersection on County Road 445A right before 2 a.m. when the accident occurred.

“I wasn’t in too much pain at first because I had so much adrenaline, but I did know there was something wrong with me,” Paulding said. “The worst part was seeing Jane unconscious and seizing.”

According to Jyung, she was seated in the passenger seat and asleep. The impact with tree caused her head and facial injuries.

Jyung said most of the physical harm was done to her back. She experienced spinal injuries in her lumbar region. While wearing her seat belt, she went through an up-and-over pattern where a passenger goes up-and-over or strikes the dashboard. According to Jyung, she also experienced direct impact with the tree.

The damage by the seat belt resulted in a resectioned colon, according to Jyung. She underwent surgeries for both her back and abdominal area.

“I remember Chris Holland’s voice, saying something like, ‘Jane, you are going to be okay. I am praying for you. Stay with me here,’ something along those lines,” Jyung said. “Next thing I remember is that when I got moved from (the) ambulance to (the) helicopter, I heard (a) bunch of men shouting to get me into the helicopter. I then lost my consciousness again until I had my second surgery.”

After the car smashed into the tree, a man pulled over to help, according to Kaminski. He called 911, helping Kaminski, who was not receiving good cellular connection.

The vehicle that the Holland brothers were in was less than 10 minutes behind the crash. Liberty students Chris, Nick and Nathan Holland arrived at the scene to see their friends, Jyung and Paulding, lying down outside of the vehicle.

According to Paulding who was sitting in the backseat, the seat belt gave her lacerations in her abdomen, and the impact of the belt damaged parts of her small intestine and colon. In addition, the force of the impact caused a tear in her iliac artery.

“The Lord has definitely kept me from breaking down, even though I’ve wanted to so many times,” Paulding said. “He has given me his peace, strength and love throughout this whole thing.”
Jyung and Paulding were both taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center to recover during the Thanksgiving break. Paulding was rushed into the emergency trauma center, and Jyung was airlifted to the emergency intensive care unit (ICU).

Friends and family visited them over the course of the week and brought cards, balloons and prayers. Jyung and Paulding’s loved ones traveled to visit them in the hospital once they were stabilized in the ICU and trauma center.

According to Jyung, her sister flew over from Korea, and her aunt traveled from New York. Paulding’s immediate family in Florida all gathered around her.

“The response from everyone was unbelievable,” Paulding said. “I was shocked with the amount of responses and prayers. I was even more shocked with the amount of people that came to visit me. I hated seeing my family devastated, but I knew they were holding on to the Lord’s strength. They were by my side for every second, and we’ve become a stronger family from this.”

Jyung said Liberty University campus pastors were contacted soon after the car accident and the university provided support through the situation.

“I am so glad it worked out to be able to visit Aubrey, Jane, and Chris at the hospital in Ocala,” Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Mark Hine said. “We wish them a speedy recovery and will continue to pray toward that end. I am thankful for God’s protection and provision for them during this difficult time.”

Friends gave financial donations as their friend Thiago DeSouva created a GoFundMe fundraiser account. In 12 days, the amount of money raised for medical expenses was just under $11,000.

“Almost all my friends found out about my condition, and when I checked my phone for the first time, I was overwhelmed with over 1,000 personal messages and prayers from friends around the world,” Jyung said. “Liberty University as one body prayed over Aubrey and I at Convocation. I did not cry at all after the accident, maybe once because of the pain, but I was weeping in my bed watching Convocation online.”

The two girls are still slowly recovering, Jyung said. Jyung, after the surgery, was able to take a few steps with a back brace on in the hallway outside of her hospital room. She is now being cared for at the home of the Holland family in Mount Dora, Florida.

Kaminski has returned back to school and is in classes preparing for final exams.

Paulding said she is at home in Boca Raton, Florida with her family. She and Jyung are eyeing the spring semester 2016 as a goal to return to school if they fully recover physically. As nursing students, they will have to make up final exams over the Christmas break.

“There was never (a single) day that I did not praise God,” Jyung said. “In the midst of all the pain, I was able to praise him because of the unshakable truth that Jesus is good all the time.”

Paulding also reflected on how she has learned from this traumatic experience.

“I have learned how short and fragile our life is,” Paulding said. “You never know what God has in store and you have to be ready for it. A word of advice to everyone: Stay close to the Lord and always follow him, even in times of trouble. The times of trouble are always opportunities of growth.”

Editor’s note: The reporter was at the scene of the car accident.

CASTEL is a sports reporter.