Senior survives ATV accident and makes miraculous strides

October 31, 2007

Two days before her 21st birthday, Mukwonago native Vanessa Lund, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, was involved in a tragic accident while on a family trip to northern Wisconsin. It was supposed to be a quick ride on a quiet trail with her sisters, but it was a ride that ended in near tragedy when Lund was involved in an accident that threw her from her all-terrain vehicle (ATV) without a helmet.

It is hard to determine exactly what happened on that beautiful summer day, but it is thought Lund's ATV hit a divot in the ground and threw her from the vehicle onto a rock. Lund was transported to a local hospital in Mercer, Wis., and taken by Flight for Life to Duluth, Minn. where she underwent several surgeries for a cracked skull and severe brain swelling.

Lund was in a drug-induced coma for 10 days and had to have one-third of her skull removed to help reduce the swelling of her brain. She was hospitalized for almost a month before her skull was replaced with 18 screws.

"This was such a random accident and it really never hit me I could die until I started to think about what I went through," Lund said.

With specific classes only offered in the fall semester and a drive to graduate on time in May 2008, Lund underwent weeks of physical, speech and occupational therapy before making the decision to return to school for the fall semester.

"I unfortunately had bad luck, but I knew I wanted to come back. The exposure to people was what I needed to help me re-learn my skills," she said. "I knew I had to make the most of my first year so I could help my brain grow and re-gain my functional abilities."

Lund is a general business major with an entrepreneur emphasis and an arts management minor. She said it has been hard to recall and associate words and it sometimes takes longer for her to process what she is thinking, but she has a positive outlook for the future. Lund has also been working with the Center for Students with Disabilities to assist her with note taking in class.

"I know my skills will gradually come back, but it is reassuring to know I have a resource on campus to assist me. I want to continue to learn and accomplish things and I need to be involved in as much as I can," she said.

It has only been a few short months since the accident, but being involved and keeping busy has helped Lund with her language and writing skills. She is currently a full-time student and balances several activities while also having a job. Lund is president-elect of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization at UW-Whitewater and is responsible for planning the elevator pitch competition, as well as the business plan competition in spring. She is also the secretary for the cultural affairs committee.

"I have been very calm throughout this whole experience, and I have definitely learned to love the people around me. It has been great to feel the support and concern of others and be able to communicate how I feel," she said.