Hey people! My name is Amanda Putman McBay.
I have a son, who has a son. Yes, I am a grandmother.
I am confined to a wheelchair because of an automobile accident I had when I was 19 years old.
The accident left me comatose for three months. One of the most important things I missed while I was comatose was my son’s first birthday. It was videotaped for me.
When I regained consciousness I still had major problems. I had a severe head injury, three broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, and had broken my ankle in three places. My younger sister was in the accident with me but she was treated and released the same day. When the accident happened I was taken to Huntsville Hospital by Med-Flight.
Upon waking, I did not have a clue where I was or what had happened. I did not know anyone or anything! My right side was partially paralyzed and I could not hear or speak. I also had double vision. I was in the Lakeshore unit of Carraway Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.
A few days later, I was transported to the main campus of Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital, which is also in Birmingham. A van from Lakeshore came to take me to the main campus. I was a patient there from June until August 1989. In August, I was moved to Lakeshore Transitional Living. At the time it was a part of Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital. I was a patient at Transitional Living until November 1989.
In January 1999, almost ten years after my accident, I decided to go to college. It took me a long time due to my situation, but I finally got my bachelor’s degree in May 2007. My degree is in Liberal Studies.
Today, I have spent over half of my life in a wheelchair. In some ways it freed me to be the person I am today. I know first hand that the public is uneducated when it comes to matters dealing with wheelchairs. You can’t blame them, this isn’t normal. In fact it’s downright scary.
I like to write. However, I don’t feel like what I write is good enough to be published. I post here to make my thoughts public. I also hope that maybe something I write can help other people who are in a similar situation.
Amanda’s Photo Gallery
Me in class, 1986. 
My senior portrait. Class of 1987. 
My high school graduation photo. Class of 1987. 
Dumb or Dumber? 
Dinner at the 2009 Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant. 
In front of the U.S. Capitol Building 
Johnny Depp at Madame Tussauds. July 2008. 
Jeff and Amanda at dinner in 2010. 
January 2014 
Disney Animal Kingdom September 2014
