Mistaken Identity with Bittersweet Results
About a week ago, the evening for a group of young adults from Arizona ended tragically after a fatal car accident. Abby Guerra, age 19, and four of her friends were returning from Disneyland when their car crashed on the way home. Officials reported that Guerra and her friend, Tyler Parker, died as a result.
Mistaken Identities
Against the recommendations of the medical examiner’s office, the officials who identified Guerra immediately informed her family of the tragic collision. While the family mourned and made funeral plans in the days that followed, the medical examiner’s office conducted investigations to confirm the identities of the auto collision’s deceased victims, which is standard practice. Officials found out that Guerra was not dead, but was a patient who was very much alive, but had suffered a brain injury, collapsed lung and a broken back in the auto collision, according to Fox News.
While Guerra initially received treatment for her injuries, she was mistaken for her friend, Marlena Cantu. Cantu’s family held bedside vigils for the young adult whom they thought was a family member. Differences in the girls’ physical appearances, such as ear piercings, and a comparison of dental records helped properly identify the young women.
Coping with Grief
Lives are not usually returned after they are taken. However, this bittersweet story shows how quickly a person we love—no matter how old they are—can suddenly disappear from our lives. Death and loss are realities that we all experience, and the accompanying grief can affect us for better or for worse in the end. Learn how to turn grief into a period of positive personal reflection and growth. Because one in five children experiences the death of a person close to them before the age of 18, learn more about children and grief.
[photo: Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL)]
Tags: death of a child, Grief, mistaken identity
