For Markelle Foushee, a 33-year-old CAT scan technologist, June 17, 2021 was a typical night shift at the WakeMed Raleigh Campus Emergency Department. She had just finished working and was driving home in the early hours of the morning. Little did she know, she’d leave the hospital as a health care worker and head back as a patient.

A Life Lost and a Life Saved

After taking the on-ramp to Interstate 440, she began navigating the curved freeway, when tragedy struck. A wrong-way driver was travelling along the Interstate and crashed head-on into Markelle at full speed. He died in the collision.

Markelle, dazed and confused, sat in her vehicle in severe pain.

She says, “After the collision, I saw dim lights and then the impact. I looked around and an officer had come up to my door. He asked me if I was okay, and I said ‘yes.’ He said, ‘Hang on. Everything will be okay. EMS is on the way.'”

Amazingly, this officer was on the scene immediately because he was driving near Markelle, at the time, and saw the accident unfold. His calm reassurance gave her comfort as she waited for EMS to arrive.

A Return to the WakeMed Raleigh Campus Emergency Department

“They took me back to the Raleigh Campus where I’d just left. I was glad they were taking me back there because everyone in the ED knew me, and I knew they would take care of me.”

On the way to the hospital, EMS workers asked Markelle about her pain. “I said my belly and my leg were hurt. They said I had an open tibia-fibula fracture. And I was like ‘oh great’ cause I knew that was bad.”

Upon arrival, they told the doctor about Markelle’s pain and the tibia-fibula fracture of her leg — a very serious injury requiring swift medical intervention.

Comfort in Familiarity and the Expertise of a Highly Trained Team

The WakeMed trauma team decided it was best to immediately take her back for a CAT scan to assess the extent of her injuries.

“My own coworkers scanned me. They didn’t have any idea at first that it was me, so they were in shock when they found out.”

Beyond the tibia-fibula fracture, the scan also revealed that Markelle had bleeding in her abdomen, a fracture on her right heel and several broken bones in her left foot and toes.

Markelle says, “They took me to surgery to stop the bleeding. There was a hematoma in my belly. I also had a laceration there too. They had to repair the laceration. They put a drain in my stomach to get the hematoma out. Next came a surgery on my leg. The next week, they did the surgery on my heel and the broken bones and toes in my left foot.”

She endured a total of three surgeries. WakeMed trauma surgeon, Sukanto Biswas, MD, FACS, repaired her hematoma and abdominal laceration. Orthopaedic surgeons, Corey A. Thompson, MD and Robert G. Howard, MD, performed her surgeries on her leg and foot.

Markelle was discharged on Tuesday, July 13, 2021. July 17 is her birthday, so she was thrilled to be out of the hospital in time to celebrate at home.

Support in Recovery

Markelle credits the amazing trauma, orthopaedic and physical therapy teams for her quick progression.

“After my surgeries, they got me up right away, maneuvering with a walker and wheelchair. I can get myself up and dressed. I am very strong and have been progressing very well.”

Her team has also been wonderful since her accident, lavishing her with visits, gifts and a ton of support.

 

“It’s weird to switch from being provider to patient. Now I understand why patients can be so homesick. It’s tough being at the hospital for so long.”

Markelle spent 27 days in the hospital and will continue therapeutic recovery at home while she is non-weightbearing on her right leg (three months) and left foot (six to eight weeks).

Gratitude and Understanding

Markelle looks back on the accident with some gratitude realizing that it could have been worse and also sure that it will give her even more compassion for her patients once she can return to work.

“It’s hard to lose independence and not be able to do my normal activities. I understand the patients more now.”

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About the WakeMed Raleigh Campus Level 1 Trauma Center

WakeMed features the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Wake County. Our orthopaedic trauma surgeons are the only ones in Wake County, and they bring decades of experience to treat serious skeletal injuries to the body, face, and limbs for both adult and children.

And WakeMed’s comprehensive critical care services and rehab hospital round out the continuum of trauma care.  In fact, as of 2021, our Rehabilitation Hospital is ranked 19 of 1,083 rehab hospitals across the U.S. by U.S. News and World Reports. From injury to rehab, WakeMed offers the best orthopaedic surgeons, trauma nurses, emergency department physicians, critical care specialists and rehabilitation services.