Woman's recovery after Raleigh crash exceeds doctor's expectations

David White said his wife of 16 years is his best friend and his love for her and his faith wouldn’t let him give up.

“When I found out about the accident, it turned my world upside down,” he said.

During the early morning hours of Jan. 18, Terrie White drove her car through the garage of one house and into the side of another on Marshlane Way in Raleigh.

“All the information I was given was, to me, kind of negative. I mean, just telling me to prepare for the worst,” David White said.

A heart condition caused a medical emergency while Terrie White was driving, which caused the crash. At the time, people on the scene were fearful that she wouldn’t survive.

“Once your heart stops, it stops oxygen from going to your brain so she suffered permanent brain injury,” David White said.

For the first three weeks after the crash, David White said his wife was unresponsive. Sunday, her smile while sitting up in bed defied what was expected.

“She’s starting to smile, a lot of eye movement. She’s starting to move her arms and legs, she’s starting to kiss me now when I bend down to kiss her, so it’s been amazing,” he said.

As for the people who jumped into action to help his wife after the crash, including the neighbors who helped perform CPR until emergency officials arrived, David White said his wife has gained friends and family.

“When she comes home, I’m sure she can’t wait to meet everybody,” he said.