Rebex - Rebecca Dias

What would you do if you woke up in a bed surrounded by strangers with not only your memory wiped clean, but no understanding of where or who you were?When I was eighteen, this happened to me! I guess you can say it was as if I was literally just born, but in an eighteen-year-old's body. The Big Bang that created my new life was not caused by two people coming together in love, but by a car hitting a power pole. On the 16th of November, 2001, I was coaxed into a car that ended up travelling at 160 km when it hit a power pole, blacking out my small country hometown. On this night I died for the first time, and I would die another six more times after that. I survived and had to relearn everything again while being left with lifelong disabilities and pain. I wish I could say this was the most tragic event I have had to endure, but it was probably one of the easiest to deal with. I have mastered a lot of coping strategies to assist me in what I have lost from making a harmless decision that most teenagers would have made. I had to endure being tortured for three years while in a violent domestic relationship. The worst ordeal I have lived through was when for a two-year period I watched my beautiful, strong daughter slowly die.At times I even found myself unsure of how to survive this awful part of my life. Writing my memoir for you, my dear reader, is how I found the strength to conquer each tragedy with determination, rainbows, and lots of sparkles. Come with me on a suspenseful walk through my life as I draw on strength from my past encounters and shed some light on domestic violence, mental illness, and disabilities.