Paying tribute: Survivor Jodie gives thanks on day for heroes

A former Miss Ireland contestant, who made a miraculous recovery after being hit by a car last year, has been left homeless following her release from hospital.

Jodie Regazzoli (23), from Balbriggan, was given a 3pc chance of survival after sustaining traumatic head and physical injuries in a collision near the Pavilions Shopping Centre, Swords, while on her way to work in April 2018.

She was launched into the air and crashed through the windscreen of the car that had struck her. Fortunately, there was an ambulance in traffic behind the incident, she was attended to straight away and rushed to Beaumont Hospital with critical injuries.

Doctors informed her devastated family that if the former model and River Island worker was to survive, she would never walk or talk again.

However, after undergoing multiple operations and treatment at Beaumont Hospital, Ms Regazzoli’s condition dramatically improved.

She said she’s now sleeping in hotels or on friend’s couches.

“My long-term goal is to just get a home and have somewhere to recover,” she said. “This is my first year of intense recovery and if I don’t intensively recover now what’s going to happen to me in a few years?

“It’s hard having to depend on everyone else because before the accident I was such a strong, independent person.”

The 23-year-old was speaking at Beaumont Hospital yesterday at the annual ‘Honour Your Heroes Day’ celebrations.

Ms Regazzoli honoured health care assistant Natasha Moran, who played a pivotal role in her recovery at the Richmond Intensive Care Unit.

Source: Read Full Article