1 Year After Life-Threatening Accident, Temple Student Rachel Hall Walks At Graduation
By Ray Boyd
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was last year, right around this time, when Temple criminal justice and sociology major, and senior, Rachel Hall was riding her bike around campus. Hall was one week away from graduating. She was one week away from her professional life, attending the Washington DC Police Academy.
On April 29, 2015, those aspirations were put on hold. The new focus for Rachel was simple. She was starting a fight to live.
On that day, Hall was struck by a car as she rode her bike near N. Park Avenue and Diamond Street on Temple University's campus. Police say the teenager operating the vehicle panicked before fleeing the scene.
Authorities found Hall, suffering from severe head and leg injuries. She was taken to Temple University Hospital where her fight would begin.
Hall, of Mullica Hill, NJ., was the goalie for Temple University's lacrosse team. When the incident took place, Temple University Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin Clark said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this trying time and our hope is to see this young woman, who was honored yesterday morning for her work in the classroom, back on her feet and holding her Temple University diploma in the near future."
The hope that Clark had, for Rachel to hold her Temple degree, will come to fruition this week. On Wednesday, Hall will walk across the stage at Temple's athletics graduation, just over a year removed from the accident. On Thursday, she will walk in the Honors Program and the Liberal Arts graduations and on Friday she will attend the graduation for the entire university.
At last year's ceremony, Rachel's mother Kathy Hall accepted her degree on her behalf. Now, she will watch as her daughter is recognized for completing the long journey that is college -- a journey extended by the tragic events of that day.
Kathy has shared information on her daughter's long recovery on a Facebook page that she created. On Tuesday, the day before she would watch her daughter walk in a college graduation, she spoke with CBSPhilly.com about the special days ahead.
"It's just such an inspiration to see her walk," Kathy said. "She was given a 20 percent chance to live when she was first at Temple University Hospital when this happened. She's just been very determined all along just to not let this affect her life and her future."
Rachel's future was just getting ready to begin. She was supposed to graduate a year ago and was already accepted into the Washington DC Police Academy. Now that she has achieved the goal of making it past that tragic incident, she is setting her sights on continuing her dream to be a police officer.
"She wanted to go into human trafficking," Kathy told CBSPhilly.com. "That was her main goal. She wanted to help victims of human trafficking and domestic violence."
Kathy made it clear that her daughter still has that goal for herself and that it was in front of her throughout her recovery.
Also with Rachel, as she recovered, was unwavering support. Temple Owls are familiar with the idea of "Temple Strong," and the school community did everything to provide strength to Rachel and her family.
Kathy explained that she felt like Rachel's Temple family would be crucial to her having a successful recovery. She picked a rehab facility in Philadelphia to allow Rachel's friends to be able to visit her easily and they did, taking the time to visit with and talk to their friend even when she was unable to know they were there.
"I really think she must have heard them and just wanted to come back out and talk to them herself," Kathy said.
Kathy, and Rachel's entire family, has gone through a wide range of emotions in the last year and Kathy is well aware that her emotions will be on display over the next few days.
"I know I'll be crying a lot," she said of watching Rachel walk at graduation. "It'll be tears of happiness that Rachel was able to walk in graduation a year later. I never expected her to walk in graduation one year after this accident. I would have never ever expected it."
Family and friends of Rachel set up this page where donations are being taken to help offset the cost of Rachel's medical bills. Kathy urges anyone who would like to reach out to Rachel and wish her congratulations to send letters to her at PO Box 307, Mullica Hill, NJ 08062.