'I thank God for every day I'm alive'

Woman recuperating from wreck that almost claimed her life

POLSON — For Jana Cook, every day is precious, but it wasn't always like that.

Prior to the night of Aug. 30, Cook was your typical 20-something — hanging out with her boyfriend and friends, working a full-time job, and spending time with her mom.

But at about 10:20 p.m. that night, it all changed.

Cook was getting a ride back from Lake Mary Ronan with two friends, Pat and Bernadette Pierce, when they hit a truck driven by Justin Daniel Baker of Polson.

According to Montana Highway Patrol trooper Chris Hoyt, Baker was northbound on U.S. Highway 93 and was going to turn left into the Jette Meadows subdivision north of Polson when he pulled out in front of the sedan driven by Bernadette Pierce.

According to Hoyt and Polson firefighters who responded to the scene, it was a miracle there wasn't a fatality.

"It was a pretty bad crash, and due to the severity of it, I was really surprised that nobody was killed," said Hoyt, who responded almost an hour later because he was in Dixon at the time the call came in.

Baker was originally charged with driving under the influence and a right-of-way violation. He made an initial court appearance in mid-September and pled not guilty, but the charges were upgraded to negligent vehicular assault after the county attorney's office discovered the extent of Cook's and the Pierces' injuries.

Baker was supposed to be arraigned on the new charges last week, but his arraignment was rescheduled to a later date. According to court documents, blood tests done on Baker indicated he had a BAC of .26, more than three times the legal limit. He faces up to 10 years and a $10,000 fine on the felony vehicular assault charges.

Baker received minor injuries, and was treated and released that night, Hoyt said.

He is represented by Polson attorney Keith McCurdy, who did not return a call seeking comment prior to deadline.

For Cook, the past two months have been spent in painful rehabilitation and recuperation, as she struggles to regain some of the mobility and life she had prior to that night — a life she now appreciates infinitely more, she said.

"I thank God for every day I'm alive. I came close to not being here," Cook said. "I've made contact with friends, and promised to do things with my life because I have another chance."

While she is thankful for the life she retained, she struggles with the magnitude of her injuries. Cook returned home in late September after spending a month in the hospital.

She was in a drug-induced coma for 11 days to help her body heal, and to control the bleeding from severe brain trauma. That, it turned out, was the easy part because she didn't have to confront the reality of the situation.

Cook discovered just how much of an uphill battle she had when she got out.

During the month of October, she had anywhere from three to 10 migraines a day, no use in her left hand, with about 50 screws holding her arm together, and was confined to a wheelchair. Two long pins from her knee to her hip hold one leg together, and her left forearm has about a half dozen scars where the bone went through following the crash.

"They didn't know if they would have to amputate or not," she said of her leg.

She has short-term memory loss, and frequently writes things down so she can refer back to them just a few minutes later.

But Cook has made real progress over the past few weeks, and is now able to walk with the aid of a walker. Despite the progress, her biggest foe has been dealing with the feeling of helplessness throughout the recuperation period.

"I've never been so helpless in my entire life. For 25 years, I've been able to do everything I wanted to do. Now I have to ask for help if I drop a pen on the floor," she said.

The Pierces also suffered serious injuries, according to their attorney Gary Rice, and Bernadette was taken to Spokane that night with life-threatening injuries. She and Cook talk almost daily, and support each other, Cook said, as the work toward getting their lives back.

"We're having a race to see who can walk first," Cook said in an interview last month.

Cook also gets a lot of moral support from her friends and family. Due to her injuries, and inability to work, Cook had to move out of the home she was renting and back in with her mother - something any 25-year-old would dread.

But it's been her mother Joyce who helped pull her through, Cook said

"My mom and her boyfriend are a big part of why I wake up in the morning. They've really helped me," Cook said.

One of her biggest frustrations is not being able to work. In addition to having limited mobility, Cook, who prides herself on having a quick smile, had multiple teeth knocked out, which makes her self-conscious about doing what she liked best - serving customers, she said.

She worked at a Polson hardware store for several years, and the resort up in Lake Mary Ronan during the summer. With her short-term memory loss and lack of a smile, she doesn't feel she's cut out for any customer service work.

"It's affected me quite a bit as far as what I do for a living. I don't have my teeth, my smile, and I can't see right, or think right," Cook said. "And to be in customer service you have to be able to do all that. All because of a freak accident, I'm where I am right now."

Still, it's had it's light moments. With her jaw wired shut and four plates in her face, Cook was on a liquid diet for more than a month.

As soon as her jaw was healed, she and her mother went to a hamburger joint in Missoula, just minutes after having the wires removed.

"All I wanted was a big, fat greasy hamburger. It took me an hour and a half to eat it, but it was worth it," Cook said.

She still has a long road ahead of her, but she said she's got the will-power to do it.

"Things will never be the same. As far as my recovery, it's going to take a long time, but it will happen," Cook said. "I have very high hopes and expectations for myself."

Editor's note: There will be a benefit fundraiser for Cook and the Pierces at Lake Mary Ronan lodge this Saturday, Nov. 18, starting at 5 p.m., to help defray medical expenses. There will be live music from Stacy's Other Issue and The Travelers. Tickets are $20/person or $30/couple, and are available at the 4 B's, Idle Spur, Polson VFW, Ace Hardware, or at the door. Ticket price includes a buffet dinner and raffle prizes.