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Administrator Keeps Working, Smiling Despite Paralyzing Accident

November 28, 2009On September 13, 2008, in the blink of an eye, life as Charlotte Green knew it changed forever.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and Charlotte, a CMS Health Services Administrator in Arkansas, began the day doing yard work as was her usual weekend custom. On this morning, she planned to help her mother clear out some trees in her backyard to make room for fall planting.

But then something went terribly, terribly wrong.

Charlotte was cutting down a mature oak tree when it snapped the wrong way and dropped its mighty weight squarely on her. The full measure of the oak tree landed on top of her, breaking her neck and back in multiple locations.

She is now paraplegic, having been rendered paralyzed from the waist down. But, if you read that as disabled, you have another thing coming. Only a few months removed from the accident and after two months spent in the ICU, a month in rehab and countless treatments, Charlotte is already back on the job.

“I am handicapped, not disabled,” said Charlotte. “Life will never be the same, but I’m not one to sit at home and feel sorry for myself. After getting out of the hospital and rehab, I spent almost three weeks at home before I said ‘this is enough’. I was ready to get back out there and be a productive member of society.”

Charlotte has been a Registered Nurse since 1998, first joining CMS as a Director of Nursing at the Wrightsville Unit in Arkansas. She later served as Health Services Administrator at Maximum Security Unit in Tucker, Arkansas, before assuming the same role at East Arkansas Regional Unit in Brickeys. But, when coming back to work on January 5th following the accident, Charlotte chose to again head the medical unit at Maximum Security Unit, a smaller facility in the state.

“I can’t say enough about how supportive everyone at CMS and the Arkansas Department of Correction has been,” said Charlotte. “When I told them I wanted to get back to work, my Regional Managers worked with me to find the best fit. CMS offers a lot of options depending on what you are looking for, so since I had already worked at Tucker and it was a smaller facility, it seemed like the best place for me. Coming back to work here has been like coming home. It’s been wonderful.”

Charlotte may be back in the swing of things again, but she’s quick to add it isn’t always smooth sailing. She points to a variety of adjustments she’s had to make, everything from customizing a workspace that works with her wheelchair, to waking up at 3 a.m. on workdays so she has enough time to do her therapeutic stretches and get ready for the day.

“I love being back, but listen, I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say it’s been easy,” said Charlotte. “It’s a lot harder to do things than it was before and at the end of the day, you’re just tired, but it’s a good kind of tired. You feel you have contributed to something important and are making a difference.”

George Wilson, Vice President, Operations, says the perseverance Charlotte has shown through this ordeal and in getting back to work is a testament to her tremendous character and work ethic.

“When Charlotte was injured, it hit me as if a family member had been struck down,” said George. “At first, we just prayed she would survive. However, we should have had no doubts, and within only a few weeks, she was already saying she was going back to work in the job she loves, HSA for CMS, wheelchair and all. It does surprise me that she did all this in less than six months, but it should not - that's just Charlotte."

For her part, Charlotte says that although her path now isn’t one she could ever have anticipated, she feels grateful to be alive and is determined to make the best out of the situation.

“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten angry at the situation. Frustrated, sure, but not angry. When you’re not sure for days at a time if you’re even going to live, life takes on a whole new meaning. It’s totally possible that a person could take something like this and could let it be a negative thing in their life. But, it’s also just as possible to turn this into something positive. I am happy to be here and maybe my experience can help someone else see that no matter what you’re going through, there’s always a reason to stay positive.”