Annie Walton Doyle
A woman who lost her forehead after a tragic accident has issued a stark warning to others.
Gráinne Kealy, from Ireland, has shared her story hoping to stop others from having the same experience.
After losing her forehead and revealing why, people have been left shocked by Kealy’s experience.
One commenter writes: “It just shows what a simple reckless decision can do…”
Another adds: “Thank you for sharing this and giving others a chance to save themselves from this terrible experience! Bless you!”
A third person pens: “Terrible mistake. My sister does that I have asked her not to do it.”
Kealy has issued a stark warning about the dangers of placing your feet on the dashboard after a car accident left her without a forehead.
The woman’s knees shattered every bone in her face when her boyfriend’s jeep skidded on black ice, hit a wall, and the airbag deployed, propelling her knees towards her head.
The 2006 accident left the then 22-year-old with a minor brain injury and severe facial injuries, so severe that surgeons had to remove her forehead.
Kealy has shared her experience in several Facebook posts.
She wrote: “I had just bought a new pair of Ugg boots and thought I wouldn’t dirty the dashboard.
“Silly when you think about it! By doing this, my feet were placed directly on top of the airbag without realising it.
“When the jeep collided with the wall, the airbags inflated as they do, but because my feet were on top of mine, it actually pushed my feet, knees first, into my face.”
She explained that airbags inflate at a speed of 200 mph.
Kealy continued: “I kneed myself in the face at 200 mph! Sounds a lot worse now, doesn’t it?”
The accident left Kealy with ‘multiple facial fractures (‘my mother was told that I had broken every bone in my face’), a CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid) leak from her brain’, and she also lost two teeth.
She wrote: “One of my first memories is looking in the mirror for the first time. I didn’t recognise the face looking back at me. That is one of the worst memories I have, and one that I hope with all my heart not many people will ever have to go through.”
Doctors later informed Kealy that her knees had pushed her face inward and upward, necessitating reconstruction.
In 2007, following a setback, she had to have her forehead removed.
“Yes, my forehead! And yes, all of it! I lived without my forehead for two years until June 17, 2009, when I got my brand-new Italian ceramic forehead,” she said.
Eight years on from the shocking incident, Kealy spoke exclusively to LADbible about the night that changed her life forever.
She joked that she’s now known for having her feet on the dashboard and lacking a forehead.
Despite the strangeness, she praised her two amazing neurosurgeons.
Looking at Kealy’s face, she sees constant reminders of the changes but has come to terms with it, feeling alive and happy, though she believes she’ll never fully get over it.
Accepting it was a significant step for her, and she’s OK with it now.
After seeing many people with their feet up in cars, Kealy decided to share her story. She hopes that sharing images of her injuries will make others think twice about putting their feet on the dashboard.
Noticing celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga with their feet on the dashboard in shared photos, Kealy took to Facebook to share a cautionary message.
“It breaks my heart to think of how many millions have seen these celebrities with their feet on the dashboard,” she wrote. “I can only hope that people will learn from my mistake.”
Kealy told Sky News it scares her that celebrities are posting pictures of their feet on the dashboard which are being seen by ‘millions and millions of people’.
She added: “I can’t compete with that but I still feel like I have to try.
“It breaks my heart to think of anyone having to go through the hell myself and my family have had to go through.
“If it takes me sharing my story and my photos, as scary as they are, then so be it.
“It seems so obvious when you think about it. So please listen to me and learn from my horrible experience.”
The public response to Kealy’s message has been overwhelming.
“The response to my post has been unbelievable,” she told Yahoo UK. “I couldn’t have imagined it reaching so many people around the world.
“It took me a long time to build up the courage to share my photos. I knew there was a chance I would get negative comments, and I needed to be strong enough to deal with that.”
Despite some negative comments, Kealy has received many more kind and thoughtful messages.
She added: “I have received so many lovely messages from people around the world thanking me for sharing my story and telling me that they will never put their feet up on the dashboard again.
“Knowing I am making a difference makes sharing my story and my photos worth it. I couldn’t have asked for a better response.”
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