BACK IN PLAY SERIOUS INJURIES COULDN'T STOP TEEN.Byline: Amy Raisin raisin, in botany and cooking raisin, dried fruit of certain varieties of grapevines bearing grapes with a high content of sugar and solid flesh. Although the fruit is sometimes artificially dehydrated, it is usually sun-dried. Staff Writer SAUGUS - Regaining consciousness brought the harsh reality Harsh Reality are a little-known, proto-prog band born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire out of the remnants of the Freightliner Blues Band (formerly the Revolution) in the early sixties. : a collapsed lung, cracked ribs, and a broken pelvis pelvis, bony, basin-shaped structure that supports the organs of the lower abdomen. It receives the weight of the upper body and distributes it to the legs; it also forms the base for numerous muscle attachments. , femur femur (fē`mər): see leg. and collarbone col·lar·bone n. See clavicle. - as well as the possibility that the blond-haired, athletic teen would never walk again, let alone rejoin the Saugus High softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' team. Kacie Einbund's hospital-bed realization after a Nov. 1999 car crash had her doubting her future. Briefly. ``I'm the kind of person that, I'm determined to get back up,'' said the 16-year-old, a varsity outfielder known for her speed and defensive prowess. ``My legs are pretty muscular. If I wasn't in the shape I was in, it could have been worse.'' A passenger in a Suburban that overturned on McBean Parkway near Copper Hill Drive in Valencia, 14-year-old Einbund was thrown from the vehicle and landed on her feet, the impact fracturing several bones in her body. Confined to braces and a hospital bed for nearly a month, Einbund finally went home with the doctor's prediction that she would be able to walk again by perhaps February. She was on her feet by Christmas break, and surprised everyone by showing up for softball practice that March. ``I looked up and she's standing there,'' said Richard Perez, an assistant softball coach for 11 years before taking over this season. ``We never thought she'd play again. ``I was told it would take her two years to fully recover. But she was always in good condition and she was strong (before the crash), and I feel she just has it in her to succeed.'' Clearly an inspiration to her teammates and those who know her, Einbund, now a junior at Saugus High, said her dedication is inherent - it's been with her since she was a small child. ``My mom's kind of the same way,'' she said. ``When I first gained consciousness, I actually realized what happened. But I was just determined.'' Mother Leslie Schlender said the family was at times surprised by Kacie's rapid recovery, but, knowing the girl's determination, the progress seemed to fit the patient. ``Every time we left the room she'd be trying to pull on her sweat pants and stand up,'' Schlender said. ``There were times in ICU ICU intensive care unit. ICU abbr. intensive care unit ICU see intensive care unit. ICU when she was out of control, trying to get up and pulling the tube out of her throat.'' Soon after the crash, however, her daughter proved to be just like teen-age girls across the country. ``At first we were communicating through writing because she couldn't talk,'' Schlender said. ``She was worried and she wrote, 'Will I ever be able to talk on the phone again?' '' It is that determination that has Einbund eyeing college and a career as a doctor, a lifelong dream enhanced by her personal experience. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Saugus outfielder Kacie Einbund, who was seriously injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. in a 1999 car crash, has made an amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. recovery. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
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