Christmas miracle keeps mom alive; road to recovery begins

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - On Dec. 16, Madeline Rogers woke up to a text she’ll never forget.

Her best friend and mom of five’s life was hanging in the balance after a car accident.

“It was pretty heart-wrenching, especially the first few days,” Rogers said.

A car ran a red light, hitting Rebecca Zeitner on Columbia Road while she was headed to the store to buy diapers. The impact sent her into emergency surgery.

“She told me the surgeon said he lost count of how many screws were in there,” said Zeitner’s best friend.

Fractures up her spine almost paralyzed her and almost killed her.

“It is really tough because I love her. That’s my best friend. I could have lost her. I’m fortunate that I didn’t lose her,” she said.

Fortunately, five kids still have their mom, and countless others still have a friend.

“I don’t know what I would do without you. My heart you know, breaks to think about a world where her babies don’t have a mother,” said Rogers.

This situation is a reminder to things could’ve been worse and to always let people know how you feel.

“I’ll always tell people you love them,” Rogers said. “I’ve always done that. Just if someone’s walking out the door, even if I know, that’s what my family does. Even if you’re walking in the door to go to the grocery store, and you’re gonna be right back ... you never know. That drives that home even more. Just knowing that it is a miracle, but anything could happen.”

Now, Zeitner’s road to recovery is going to be a long one. She’s barely able to move, her neck is restricted, and has to be in a wheelchair for the time being.

“It is really tough because I love her. That’s my best friend. And I could have lost her. I’m fortunate that I didn’t lose her. At the same time, I know that there’s a lot of hurdles that she’s going to have to go through, and I want to be there every step of the way and do whatever I can for her,” she said.

Because of her condition, Zeitner also can’t work her job as a bar manager, which is why Rogers is lending a helping hand and reminding her that she needs to rely on others during this time.

“Focus on yourself,” Rogers said to her best friend. “Be selfish, be selfish with your wellness, and worry about healing. You have lots of people who love you. Lots of people who will hopefully come together for you so that we can take all those worries all those burdens off of you.”

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