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Lisa Black: Surviving & Thriving After Serious Trauma

Lisa Black was on her way home from work on a typical October evening when she was struck by a drunk driver. She was rushed to UVA Medical Center where she underwent several surgeries in the immediate hours following the crash. Lisa suffered fractures in her neck, back, ribs, hands, legs and knees – among other injuries.

David Weiss, MD, an orthopedic trauma surgeon, and Winston Gwathmey, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, were part of Lisa’s care team. From the start, Lisa’s doctors asked her what she wanted to accomplish in the weeks and months following her surgery. Lisa works at UVA as a teacher in the Children’s Hospital. She wanted to get back into her classroom and teach again. Lisa also wanted to run, and admittedly, Dr. Gwathmey did not know if that was going to happen since her injuries were so severe.

In the years since her accident, Lisa has undergone many hours of intense surgery. However, she is now back in her classroom and running again.

Watch her story.

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