Early on Sunday morning
September 19, 1999, Jacqui -- then 20 years old
-- and four friends were on their way home from a birthday
party. Reggie Stephey, an 18-year-old high school student, was
on his way home from drinking beer with some buddies. On a dark road on the
outskirts of Austin, Texas, Reggie's SUV veered into the Oldsmobile carrying
Jacqui and the others. Two passengers in the car were killed at the scene
and two were rescued.
Within minutes, the car caught
fire. Jacqui was pinned in the front seat on the passenger side. She was burned
over 60% of her body; no one thought she could survive. But Jacqui lived. Her
hands were so badly burned that she no longer can use them. She lost her hair,
her ears, her nose, her left eyelid and much of her vision. She has had more
than 40 operations since the crash and has many more to go.
Jacqueline
Saburido
January
2003
