Fender Bender and #givingtuesday

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Since Maggie’s diagnosis, we have gotten used to unwanted news and adapting our lives. So much so, news that would send most people into a panic, AJ and I tend to just say “It is what it is.”

So getting in a car accident (everyone’s ok) yesterday really was just another “It is what it is”.

I was driving Maggie home from school, she had just fallen asleep in the car, we were on the highway going probably 60 mph and all of a sudden a car hit me. It was kind of surreal. For a brief moment, I thought to myself, “Did that just happen? Do I just keep going?”

Then I realized, “yes a car just hit me, that car is pulling over on the side of the highway, I should follow them.”

I look back at Maggie and she is still asleep. My first thought, after seeing her still asleep was, “We are okay, and that is all that matters. I still have to deal with the accident though.”  So, I follow the car off of the highway and we pull into a parking lot of a run down car wash. The driver of the other car is driving a Range Rover and my first thought is, “great this person could be an ass”. I live in LA, you never know what kind of person you will run into. So when the guy got out of his car and was sincere, apologetic and frazzled, I was happy. I’m sure I seemed like such a carefree person, but in reality I was just so happy we were all okay. He seemed frazzled, so I introduced myself and said, “we are okay”. We decided to exchange information and take pictures of the cars. He immediately said he knew it was his fault and he would take care of everything. I wasn’t that worried, he drives a Range Rover, I know he has insurance.  Or at least money.

But really what was going through my mind the entire time we were exchanging information was…”Oh my god! I randomly checked Maggie’s carseat the day before and it wasn’t properly installed.” I spent 45 minutes securing it before going to Target. It wasn’t easy and I almost gave up, but actually thought to myself, “what if I’m in a wreck?” What are the odds? If I hadn’t randomly checked her carseat, she would have hit her head on the window or gone flying across the car.  Again we were hit driving 60 mph on the highway and it jolted us, but we were secure and fine. It really felt like bumper cars.

I’m sure the driver of the other car thought I was extremely nonchalant about the accident, but in reality my head was spinning. But spinning with thankful thoughts of what could have happened and what didn’t. Once my mind calmed down, I thought to myself, “This guy is extremely good looking.”

He was writing his information in my cell phone notes, I saw he only wrote his first name, so I asked for his last. He gave it to me, then I realized who he was: A celebrity. No, I’m not going to tell you who it was, but you can guess in the comments if you’d like.  I can tell you he has probably been labeled Sexiest Man Alive at some point in his career. By the time, I realized who he was, we were done. He was very apologetic and I was just happy we were fine and Maggie was still asleep. So I just wanted to get out of there so she would stay asleep. It seemed like he wanted to chat some more, but I really couldn’t. Then I remembered…oh tomorrow is #givingtuesday I should give him Maggie’s purple card, so he can donate to Rett Syndrome. I gave it to him, he looked at it and I could see it in his face. He just hit a car, with a little girl who was disabled. It’s funny, because I forget sometimes how tragic Rett Syndrome reads and sounds, we deal with it daily and it has just become a part of our lives.

We wish Rett Syndrome wasn’t a part of our lives, but it is what it is. And because of that, I give Maggie’s purple cards out all of the time. To people at playgrounds that wonder why she isn’t talking, to every house we visited while trick or treating, so it wasn’t even a second thought to give her card to this celebrity driver that just hit me. I would have given her card to any driver, celebrity or not. I told him, “Tomorrow is #givingtuesday you can give to Rett.”

He seemed a little taken back, I’m not sure if it was shock of the accident, the shock of Rett Syndrome or that I was asking him to donate. At the time, I was thinking, “Yay me, bringing awareness to Rett Syndrome one person at a time. :).”  Yes.  I thought smiley face emoticon to myself.  I’m not proud, but it’s the truth.  I was also, trying to get out of there because I was starting to get emotional, it takes a lot on a daily basis for me to keep it together, and I didn’t want to seem like a crazy person. After I drove off, I thought to myself, “Now I have to take Mr. Celebrity off of my hypothetical affair list”. Because you can’t have someone on the list that you know, that makes the list too weird.  Oh well.  It is what it is, Mr. Sexiest Man Alive.

Today is #givingtuesday If you can spare the $$$ after all your weekend shopping sprees.  Will you give back to Rett Syndrome? Here are some good Rett charities to donate to…

Rett Syndrome Research Trust www.rsrt.org 96% of donations goes to research (amazing)

The Rettland Foundation www.rettland.org This charity was started to help families get to trials. We can’t find a cure if families can’t afford to get to trials, so this is needed.

Rettsyndrome.org This charity splits their money between research and family support. Which is important because when you are first diagnosed, other families are who know what to say to you. You can donate here, through the link on our blog, then we know and can send a Thank you to you. 🙂

Girl Power 2 Cure This charity gives part of their money to RSRT for research and really brings a lot of awareness to Rett. You can donate to Maggie’s page at www.gp2c.org/magnolia

author jennytesler

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Jenny Tesler

jennytesler@gmail.com

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