Written by Livermore Falls Advertiser Sports Editor Barry Matulaitis

JAY – No matter what challenge faces her in life, Lauren Faeth of Jay never quits until she has accomplished what she set out to do.

"I'm a hard worker. There's no 'no' in my vocabulary," she summarizes.

Lauren's work ethic has ended up being a life saver, literally.

On July 29th, 2011, she was driving down to Lewiston on Route 4 between Round and Long ponds in Livermore when a medical condition caused her to lose control of her car and swerve into the path of an oncoming Toyota Tacoma. Lauren's Saturn collided with the truck, totaling the car and causing massive injuries.

The injuries that she suffered left her in critical condition. She was rushed to Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston, and Lauren and her family are grateful for the rapid response of the emergency crews that saved her life.

"I have nothing but praise for those first responders," said her father, Ed Faeth, who worked in public safety as a dispatcher for 32 years. "They had her out of the car and in the hospital in 27 minutes."

Lauren suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her with post-traumatic amnesia. To this day, she can't remember much of her August stay at CMMC. In addition to the brain injury, Lauren had a broken ankle, other leg injuries, and a burn on her leg about the knee from the car's motor mount.

In an instant, she went from a 17-year-old 2011 Livermore Falls High School graduate eagerly anticipating attending St. Joseph's College that fall, to an uncertain future. Lauren had to start from square one, relearning how to walk, write, talk, and perform daily functions that most people take for granted.

On top of the physical and emotional struggle, vicious rumors circulated in the wake of newspaper reports about the accident that Lauren was texting or talking on her cell phone while driving. At the accident scene, emergency responders noted that her cell phone was in a bag in the back seat and was turned off.

Just to make sure Lauren hadn't placed a call or text around the time of the accident, her parents went through the phone. There were no texts or messages from that time period. Also, the accident report notes that Lauren was not speeding or operating the car recklessly when the accident took place.

Lauren and her parents, Ed and Karen, pointed out that they had never been contacted by anyone from the press about the accident. Without crucial details about what had occurred, incomplete accounts appeared in the press, and the comments on newspaper websites about it were mean-spirited and devastating to the family.

"It left it open for slander," said Lauren.

For her to not only survive, but recover, her athletic background came into play. She played soccer and did track and field in high school.

"For me, soccer and track was a passion," she said.

There were times when she was injured and her coaches would tell her to take it easy, but Lauren's stubborn resilience prevailed. Her running kept her in shape, and even when she tore her rotator cuff playing soccer in the fall, she threw javelin in track the following spring.

"I had to throw the javelin like a baseball," she remembered.

Lauren recalled that at one point after the accident, track coaches Bill Biliouris and Margaret LeClerc came to CMMC to give her her state track t-shirt. Many people, including Biliouris and LeClerc, were pulling for her to make a full recovery and willing to do whatever they could to help her. Lauren received numerous cards, and St. Joe's sent flowers to encourage her.

Rather than dwell on the negative, Lauren focused on the positive energy coming from her family and the community. She threw herself into physical therapy with a passion and good humor, and the staff at CMMC, and later at Westside Neuro Rehabilitation Services, were amazed at her progression from being in a wheelchair to walking again.

"We just took each day as it came," said Karen. "To do what we could for her so she could get her life back together."

"I come from a big family," said Ed. "They supported us. My family on the West Coast stayed in touch and asked us how she (Lauren) was doing. Our immediate family here bonded together.

"This community bonded together when we really needed it, and we appreciate it," he added.

Many surgeries were done, and Lauren had Bo-tox treatments on her legs, which she says worked well. She still suffered from overspasticity as a result of the accident, where her muscles would contract or relax whenever they wanted to. Lauren is still regaining muscle control.

"From the brain injury, I lost some neurons," she said. "They'll never be able to rebuild."

Lauren had been planning to attend St. Joe's for a nursing major, but her parents called the school after the accident alerting them of what had occurred. The admissions office at the school reserved her spot, and asked how Lauren was doing, treating her like one of their family. When she was able to attend school, she was able to get ADA accommodations and a laptop to help type out notes from course lectures instead of having to handwrite them.

In December and January of 2012, Lauren had surgery and an AFO brace put on her leg that kept her foot at a 90-degree ankle.

"That worked pretty well until I rolled my ankle a few times," she said.

There were times when the pain and stress of recovery were almost more than Lauren could bear. With help from family and close friends, though, she gradually made her way back. She just completed the 2012-13 school year at St. Joe's, and is majoring in nursing with a minor in theology. Next fall, Lauren will be considered a sophomore, with almost enough credits to be a junior.

Not only does she have a busy course load, but, incredibly, she's continuing her athletic career. Lauren was a manager on the St. Joe's cross-country running team last fall, when she began talking with cross-country coach Ray Putnam. A new track team was being formed at the school, and when Lauren mentioned that she had thrown javelin in high school, Putnam encouraged her to go out for the team.

Lauren is thankful for the assistance she received from St. Joseph's athletic trainer Neal Carroll, who helped get her to a point where she could make some javelin throws in practice and has helped with her mobility as well. She wasn't able to throw in meets this past spring, but she was on the track team's roster and loved being around the other athletes on the team.

"I went to one track meet at Brown University in Rhode Island," said Lauren. "It was a long day on crutches, but it was worth it."

A surgery that she had about two weeks ago at CMMC will make it possible for her to get back to doing some of the activities she has missed since the accident. Lauren and her doctor had discussed fusing her ankle. However, after she came back from a vacation in California, her doctor, Dr. David Brown of CMO Orthopedics, informed her that the ankle wouldn't be fused. Instead, tendons would be stretched and relocated to help her regain a full range of motion in her legs.

"He's a phenomenal doctor. When I told him I was doing track and field in the beginning, he said 'Go for it,'" said Lauren. "He considers me one of his kids. I'd recommend him to anyone."

At the time of this interview, Lauren was in a cast, but her goal is to be able to walk by the end of the summer, albeit with a slight limp. She isn't sure when she'll be able to run.

"Running, it is a possibility. You never know," said Lauren with a smile, hinting at her eagerness to resume one of her favorite pastimes. "My entire thing has been no matter what people say about you, you might say one thing, but I'm going to prove you wrong."

She doesn't have any fear of driving, because she doesn't remember the accident itself. However, one day, as her dad was driving her back from a rehab session in Lewiston, Lauren was able to pinpoint the exact spot where it took place. A counselor who heard her recount it told her that with post-traumatic amnesia, some details are repressed, while the brain retains other, select information.

All of her experiences have helped with her pursuit of a nursing degree.

"I've talked to nurses at school and they say, 'You're going to be a great nurse because you have empathy,'" said Lauren. "My professor goes, it's people like you in the world that we need."

She wants to go to surrounding high schools and show the kids that "I was in your place, but look at what I'm still dealing with," said Lauren. "This can happen to you.

"It's common when you graduate, it's like 'I have my whole life ahead of me.' It can all change so fast. I've learned to appreciate the small things. Family has become more important to me. I just feel there was a reason I didn't pass away: It was to inspire others."

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, which operates Westside in Lewiston, recognized her for her dedication to her recovery. Lauren was recognized with the 2012 Client of the Year Award. It was presented to her at a ceremony by Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, who was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's granddaughter.

"I'm always going to have that physical struggle, but it's what I do with it that matters," said Lauren. "I didn't let the accident define me. I defined the accident."

This is all that remains of Lauren Faeth's Saturn, which was destroyed in her car accident. (Courtesy photo)

Lauren is shown with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's granddaughter, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. Roosevelt presented her with the Goodwill award as the 2012 Client of the Year. (Courtesy photo)