A Life Saved in Minutes: Kaitlyn Curry’s Story of Strength

What began as an ordinary day quickly turned into a life-altering moment for 16-year-old Kaitlyn Curry. On her way to work at Wendy’s in Vincennes, Kaitlyn was riding her bike when she was suddenly struck by a car. The impact left her critically injured and unconscious with her life hanging in the balance.

Fortunately, help was close by.

Good Samaritan EMS team members Courtney Washburn, a paramedic, and Hank Lanam, an advanced EMT, were just minutes away when the call came through. Alongside two local firefighters, they reached Kaitlyn within two minutes of dispatch. From the time of the initial call to her arrival at the hospital, only 12 minutes had passed—12 minutes that made all the difference.

“I was in the back with Kaitlyn the entire time,” recalled Washburn. “She probably doesn’t remember it, but we were doing everything we could to keep her stable and get her help as quickly as possible.”

For Lanam, the response was instinctive. “We didn’t wait, we just went,” he said. “That’s what we do. We knew it was serious, and we had to act fast.”

Kaitlyn was later airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital to receive specialized care and began what would become an intense and determined journey to recovery. She had suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, with multiple areas of bleeding and swelling in her brain. A dangerous midline shift signaled just how critical her condition was. Surgeons worked quickly to relieve the pressure and give her brain room to heal. She also sustained fractures to her skull and spine, bleeding into her brain, and air trapped inside her skull all added to the complexity. The impact had damaged her inner ear, shattered parts of her temporal bone, and caused serious trauma to her sinuses and eye.

With multiple therapy sessions each week and a month of aggressive rehabilitation, she’s now regaining strength and beginning to walk again with support.

Her mother, Rachael Curry, remains deeply grateful to the emergency team who stood in the gap when she couldn’t. “You were all there when I wasn’t able to be,” Rachael said through tears during a heartfelt reunion with the EMS team. “I would’ve panicked, but you stayed calm and saved her. Thank you for being there when Kaitlyn needed you most. Because of you, my daughter is still here.”

Although the memory of the accident remains a blur for Kaitlyn, her focus now is clear—she’s determined to walk again and reclaim her independence. With the unwavering support of her family, care team, and her own unshakable spirit, Kaitlyn is making steady progress every day.