Survivor Spotlight: Hanane’s Story
A road to recovery shaped by reflection, resilience, and connection
On February 13, 2012, Hanane’s life changed in an instant. A motor vehicle accident left her paralyzed from the chest down—an injury so severe she doesn’t remember being told she would never walk again. What she does remember is the look on her family’s faces, especially her mother’s, whose heartbreak made the truth unmistakable.
Recovery from a traumatic injury is never simple. It’s not linear. It doesn’t end at discharge. For many, it begins in grief—for what was lost, what’s changed, and what may never return. Nearly 1 in 5 trauma survivors develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many experience depression, isolation, and chronic pain. And without strong support systems, the risks of readmission, unemployment, and long-term health complications rise dramatically.
For Hanane, her early months in recovery were marked by pain, uncertainty, and the sudden loss of control. Like so many trauma survivors, she had to navigate both a new physical reality and the emotional weight that came with it. “Most days,” she recalls, “all I wanted was to go outside and breathe fresh air. But I couldn’t do that for months. Moments like that made me realize how easy it is to take something so simple for granted.”
Stillness created space for reflection—but what truly shaped her recovery was connection.
Through her work with the MetroHealth Trauma Survivors Network, Hanane met others who had lived through life-altering injuries. Those connections, and the shared understanding they brought, helped shift how she viewed her own experience. “Volunteering to help others with spinal cord injuries has deepened my gratitude. Hearing their stories reminds me of the strength in shared experiences and the power of empathy. It enriches my own journey by highlighting the impact of support and connection.”
In the face of everything her accident took from her, Hanane shares something many may find surprising: if given the choice, she wouldn’t undo it. For her, the perspective, purpose, and community she’s gained through recovery have become just as defining as the injury itself.
She doesn’t ask, “Why did this happen to me?” Instead, she asks, “Why not me?” It’s not a dismissal of the loss she’s experienced, but an acknowledgment that suffering, she believes, is part of being human—and that healing, she’s learned, is rarely something we do alone.
Hanane’s story is a powerful reminder that trauma recovery is not only clinical. It’s personal. It lives in conversations, in community, connection, and in the presence of people who show up to walk alongside you.
Connection is care—something everyone deserves access to.
