AUSTIN — Every year across this country 10,000 people die in drunk driving crashes. Many are innocent victims, and thousands more are injured.
Sometimes the smallest of steps hold the greatest significance, and that is especially true for Rachael Crawford. This young Austin survivor is using her life-changing experience to help others just like her.
This spring was a special moment for her family as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma from the University of Oklahoma.
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The crash
There was a time when no one was sure she'd ever walk on her own again.
“Four years ago I was in the mindset of how am I ever going to get through this,” said Crawford.
In 2014, a drunk driver plowed into Crawford and three friends as they were stopped at a traffic light at the corner of Slaughter Lane and Mopac in South Austin.
The girls all survived, but they all suffered debilitating injuries. From learning to talk to learning to walk, months of rehab and mounting medical bills robbed most of them of starting college on time with friends.
“It's just not fair,” said Crawford that year, the summer she was supposed to start college.
The girls eventually started classes, but it hasn't been easy. Crawford has had four surgeries in four years. And they’ve each had setbacks.
“It’s off and on with the pain still,” explained Crawford.
Perspective and purpose
Perspective teaches you some things college can't.
For instance, there were nearly 1,700 people in Travis County impacted by a drunk driving crash in 2016 alone.
“It’s made me appreciate everything so much more,” said Crawford.
So now she wants to pay it forward.
“My dad and I decided to create a scholarship for two kids graduating high school that can't afford to go to college because of medical bills,” said Crawford. “Even if it's not the kid that goes through the same experience I did, the parent, the sibling, it affects the entire family. So we want to help make that a little bit easier on families.”
They’re trying to raise $10,000 dollars for two students and have already raised more than half what they need for this year.
“I hope it helps a family be able to afford college, but I also hope it gets the word out to other people that drinking and driving is a serious thing,” said Crawford.
A chance to make a lasting impact and help others live the life they were destined to live.