LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Across the country, trauma victims are being honored today as part of National Trauma Survivors Day. At the University of Kentucky, victims were invited to share how their experiences have affected their daily lives.
Kati Rhea, a former Lexington police officer, recounted the day her world turned upside down almost eight years ago.
"You get no forewarning about it. You get no say about it, and then one day you just wake up and your whole life is what you feel like is over, and you just have to learn how to relive your life again and it's hard," she said.
Rhea and her husband were involved in an ATV accident at their home, leaving her almost completely blind. She endured over 40 surgeries in the aftermath.
"It changes your whole life and you know you don't have a say, obviously," Rhea said. "I think people in society needs to be aware of some of the struggles that a lot of people with trauma have. It's not only physical, but it's mental and emotional as well."
Dawn Miller, another Lexington police officer, shared a similar traumatic experience. In 2021, a wrong-way driver hit Miller's cruiser while she was on patrol.
"When you go through something so traumatic, it's very easy to feel alone, to feel like nobody else will ever understand what you've been through," Miller said. "The after of a trauma, it's, it can be overwhelming at times. There were so many moments I was just angry. It's hard to accept that my life will now forever be changed because of someone else's actions."
Despite their vastly different traumas, Rhea and Miller share the same mindset.
As Rhea puts it, "I solve problems, you know. I'm the one who helps people, and then one day I wake up and I'm completely blind and I can't do the basic necessities."
Both victims are going public with their stories, hoping to educate others about their daily struggles.
As Rhea said, "You try to teach people and employers and society that you're not broken and you don't need to be treated like you're broken, you just do things differently."
Through shared experiences and a determination to overcome, these trauma survivors are inspiring others and raising awareness on National Trauma Survivors Day.
