In a 2004 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Joy Veron described a family vacation in Colorado in which an outing that began peacefully nearly ended in tragedy.
The mother of three had just put her children in an SUV when the vehicle began rolling downhill and was headed toward a cliff that was on the edge of a deep canyon. Desperate to do something, she placed herself in front of the vehicle, which slowed it down enough for her husband to pull the emergency brake.
However, Verone suffered major injuries and was told by doctors that there was less than a one percent chance that she would ever walk again.
Recently, Winfrey revisited with Verone, who said that she underwent a stem cell transplant to aid her recovery. The treatment helped somewhat, giving her a little more sensation that she previously had. However, she remains in a wheelchair.
Her daughter, Annie, said that despite her disability, Veron is able to many things that other mothers are unable to do.
The three children have either completed their education or are continuing to attend. The oldest, Chloe, recently graduated from Harvard, while Annie attends the University of the South in Suwanee, Georgia. Her son, Elliott is in his final year of high school.
Veron noted that she was told early in her rehab that virtually all marriages fall apart when the woman is injured. That came true in this case when Veron and her husband recently divorced after 23 years of marriage.