Three years after a devastating car crash, Maddie Mansell is celebrating her first week of college in Dallas, a major milestone in her remarkable recovery.
That healing process began at Methodist Dallas Medical Center with multiple surgeries to repair spinal fractures, a shattered pelvis, and a broken arm, legs, and ribs — all performed by a team led by Edgar Araiza, MD, orthopedic surgeon on the medical staff at Methodist Dallas.
“The crash inspired me to want to help people,” says Maddie, who’s pursuing a degree in communications and wants to share her story with other teens. “I’m really excited.”
For Maddie’s mother, watching her only child’s transformation from that awful day in August 2021 has been nothing short of extraordinary.
“She is my world,” says Nicole Mansell, who witnessed the immediate aftermath of the crash. “That day, I walked into my worst nightmare.”
‘INTO A WAR ZONE’
In the summer of 2021, Maddie and her friends were on their way home from back-to-school shopping when disaster struck.
The driver lost control and crashed just six houses away from Maddie’s home in Waxahachie, where Maddie’s mother was waiting for them to arrive.
As 30 minutes passed with no sign of the girls, Nicole’s initial calm turned to worry. She checked Maddie’s location on her phone and saw that it was barely a block away — and hadn’t moved in 15 minutes.
“I jumped in my car and drove around the corner,” Nicole says. “It was like driving into a war zone.”
Nicole’s heart sank as she saw a group of first responders tending to the car Maddie and her friends had been driving.
“I kept peeking around trying to see her, and I realized that the driver had passed away,” Nicole says. “I finally got a glimpse of Maddie, and I just kept telling her, ‘Mommy’s here.’”
Maddie had to be airlifted from the crash scene near her Waxahachie home.
AFTER THE CRASH
Maddie remembers little from that day, only fleeting glimpses of her parents’ faces, the car ceiling, the sky, and the whir of helicopter blades.
“I think my body was just in a lot of shock,” Maddie says. “It felt like I was numb from the neck down.”
Maddie’s best friend, Bella White, was also in the car but suffered only minor injuries, while the driver died. Bella’s recollection of that day is much stronger, and so was her bond with Maddie afterward.
“If we lived through that, we can live through anything else life throws at us,” Bella says.
When Maddie was airlifted from the crash scene, her mother had no idea where the helicopter was taking her.
“We just got in our car and started driving,” Nicole says. “We got the call that the helicopter was taking her to Methodist Dallas, and I’m so thankful that’s where she went.”
Maddie’s mom, Nicole (left), and her best friend, Bella, were by her side throughout her recovery.
HOURS OF SURGERY
Doctors quickly determined that the crash had shattered Maddie’s pelvis and both femurs, broken an arm and several ribs, damaged vertebrae in her spine, and fractured the base of her neck, says Dr. Araiza, who was on call that day.
“You have to be ready for anything,” Dr. Araiza says, explaining how unpredictable traumatic injuries can be for even the healthiest of patients. “Even though she is young, she’s undergone a tremendous amount of trauma.”
Before Maddie went into surgery, Nicole looked at Dr. Araiza and said, “I’m giving you the best I have to offer. She’s it — my only child. This is the best thing in my life.”
Six hours later, Dr. Araiza delivered the good news — Maddie’s surgeries were a success: rods were placed in both legs, and screws in her pelvis. She would spend 13 days at Methodist Dallas and needed six weeks of rehabilitation to walk again.
Now, after three years of follow-up care, she had her final appointment with Dr. Araiza in July, when the final screws were removed from her hips.
“It’s beautiful when I get to see patients going from the worst day of their life to one of the best ones,” Dr. Araiza says. “There are so many chapters left to be written for her.”
Maddie and her mom credit Dr. Araiza and his team at Methodist Dallas for returning her to health.
OFF TO COLLEGE
Turning the chapter on the crash, Maddie is embracing what’s next by beginning classes at UNT Dallas and pursuing a degree in communications.
“UNT Dallas is just perfect for me,” she says.
Her mom feels immense pride seeing Maddie live a life that seemed uncertain back in 2021.
“I would do anything for her to be successful and to feel loved,” Nicole says. “I just pray that she has the most beautiful, lovely life.”
Maddie plans to do just that with a deep appreciation for the support she’s received and how far she’s come.
“I’m very grateful that God gave me a surgeon who was going to take his time on me,” Maddie says. “God’s not done with me yet.”
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