Crash victim finally gets prom
Crash victim finally gets prom
By Jessica Murphy, QMI Agency
CHICOUTIMI, Que. – Last May, Claudia Boulianne was a passenger in car speeding along a rural Quebec road at 150 km/h when its driver lost control.
The young Quebec woman spent over an hour trapped in the crumpled vehicle and two months in hospital recovering from her injuries.
But for the teen, one of the worst consequences of the collision was missing her high school prom.
So her parents, who believe in "better late than never," decided to make her dream come true. On Saturday, they made sure their 18-year-old daughter finally graduated in style.
In a floor-length pink gown and her light brown hair pulled back off her face, Boulianne arrived at the dance in a blue convertible and was greeted with cat calls and whistles from friends.
Boulianne recalled how difficult it was to be in hospital last June 18, knowing her friends were dressing up for their gala.
“That was the worst night, the night of the prom,” she said. “All I did was cry.”
Her friends also noticed her absence that night.
“It was hard,” one girl admitted Saturday. “All my other friends were there but Claudia wasn’t. And she’s my best friend.”
Her parents feel blessed to have their daughter healthy and walking. She injured her back, spinal cord and skull in the road collision and doctors thought she’d be wheelchair-bound for a long time.
In his gratitude, her father, Rejean Boulianne, invited the emergency workers who helped extract his daughter from the damaged car to Saturday’s event.
“To see Claudia, standing up, walking, in good health, it makes me even more proud of what we do,” said firefighter David Simard.
The teenager, who has decided she wants to be an occupational therapist, was glad to see them there.
“They represent life because they saved mine,” said Boulianne. “It’s thanks to them I’m here today.”