Feb. 2023| Vol. 20 Iss. 02
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AFTER A TRAGIC ACCIDENT, LOCAL WOMAN DETERMINED TO LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
D
ays before Christmas 2021, Holladay’s Heather Vanboerum visited the Murray Costco to pick up a few last-minute supplies for a holiday party. She also was anticipating, any day, the birth of her granddaughter. However, minutes later, terror struck the 51-yearold mother as she headed out into the parking lot and heard screams; she turned around to see an out-ofcontrol car careening toward her. Before she could do anything, the vehicle plowed into her, pinning her to another car. Vanboerum’s right leg was severed, and her left leg mutilated, where she was losing blood fast and had minutes to live. Fast-thinking Costco employees responded by placing a tourniquet. At the time of the crash, she was on the phone with her husband, Don, an ER doctor across the road at Intermountain Medical Center. That Christmas Eve, Vanboerum’s legs were amputated. Her hospital bed was wheeled across the hospital days later to visit her new grandbaby. While in the hospital, Vanboerum decided her attitude toward her situation would be to live life to the fullest. Vanboerum has defied expectations at every turn in her recovery—fit with her first prosthetic leg in March and her second in June at Murray’s Hanger Clinic. She has worked hard to walk independently and return to the activities she loves: playing pickleball, cycling and hiking with her family. Her next goal: learn to ski.
One of Vanboerum’s biggest supporters is Hanger Clinic’s prosthetist and area clinic manager, Wendy Remington. Remington has been there since the beginning, providing hope to Vanboerum in the hospital, helping Vanboerum take her first steps, and now assisting Vanboerum to conquer adaptive sports and recreation—celebrating the little victories along the way. Vanboerum is also now paying it forward by participating in life-saving emergency care initiatives in the community, teaching several classes through the local EMS team. “It’s hard to be negative when so many people around you are cheering you on,” Vanboerum said. “I think of the many heroic efforts it took to get me where I am today, and I am so grateful to everyone.” “Heather’s authenticity and openness to learning have been a huge part of her success. From day one, Heather has worked hard, set goals, and embraced her new situation with courage and willingness to tackle the unknown. I find an adaptable and open mindset like Heather’s can be a big asset to someone recovering from a traumatic injury in maintaining physical, mental and emotional health,” Remington said. According to Vanboerum, she focused on three aspects of her life that would carry her through this Continued page 9 Heather Vanboerum. (Photo courtesy Heather Vanboerum)
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