PORT ANGELES — Emily Joner Dickens, a 22-year-old former resident of Neah Bay and Port Angeles who was critically injured in an Oct. 18 car on state Highway 112, is slowly recovering after nine surgeries, her condition having been upgraded from critical to serious, her sister, Kristina Russell, said.
Emily and her husband of about six weeks, 24-year-old Joshua — both of Vancouver, Wash. — were traveling to her mother’s 60th birthday party in Joyce when another car crossed the center line on state Highway 112 just west of U.S. Highway 101 and collided with them.
Both of the occupants of the other car — Mary Wyman, 60, and her grandson Theodin Nelson, 6 — died in the crash.
Wyman is the mother and Theodin is the son of Brooke Nelson, who challenged incumbent Betsy Wharton for the Port Angeles City Council in Tuesday’s general election.
Nelson placed her campaign on hold after the wreck, but eventually decided to go forward with it. The election was too close to call on election night, and the next count of votes will be Friday.
Emily Dickens, who grew up in Neah Bay and lived in Port Angeles before she moved to Vancouver, is now in serious but stable condition at Harborview Medical Center where she was airlifted after the wreck.
She suffered a broken back, a broken neck and lacerations of her liver, pancreas, spleen and an artery in her leg, said Russell, who lives in Port Angeles.
“Emily remains in ICU at Harborview and is recovering from her [ninth] surgery,” she said.
She has been fitted with a “halo” — a type of brace — to hold her back in place so it will heal properly.
‘A miracle’
“We have learned quite a bit about the night she was brought to Harborview and that first surgery, and we can only believe that it was a miracle from God that she is still with us,” Russell said.
“Doctors have told us many times that, with the severity of her injuries, she is lucky to be alive.”
Josh Dickens spent about a week at Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles. Now, he is spending time with his wife in Seattle, Russell said.
“Josh is recovering well and has an upcoming eye surgery to repair some eye socket damage, but is well on his way to a full recovery,” Russell said.
Russell said the family members — including Emily Dickens’ parents, Steve and Karen Joner of Joyce — are thankful for the generosity of people on the North Olympic Peninsula, though a little overwhelmed by the response.
“My phone has not stopped ringing,” she said.
It is unclear when Emily will be able to return home.
“She still has a long road ahead of her, but she has a lot of spunk and determination and is proving that with her rate of her progression,” Russell said.
“She has a fantastic attitude for what she’s been through, and is just focusing on getting better and getting home to her normal life and to her puppy, Harley.”
An account to help Emily and Josh Dickens with living expenses while she remains in the hospital is set up under their names at First Federal.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
