On Dec. 21, 1997 I was involved in a life changing accident in the California Desert.
As I travelled along the winding curves of the state highway up to Idyllwild, at many points there were dizzying drop offs from the road – to the rocky cliffs below.
At some point mid – journey, a hitchhiker stopped me and asked to be given a ride. Upon dropping her off, she peered in the window and said in a solemn voice “ Don’t drive off the cliff today…” Well you don’t need to be psychic to know what happened next. My sturdy white Jeep rounded the corner as unforeseen snow began to fall, fast and furious, from an otherwise clear and sunny day on the desert floor.
My jeep apparently hit black ice, I spun out of control and my jeep spiraled down the mountainous rocky cliffs below. As I clung on to the steering wheel for dear life, my life flashed before me and the dreaded feeling that I might die filled my entire being.
Last year, 2017 marked the 20th anniversary of this life and death accident. Since then, my life has changed 180 degrees. Like many intractable pain patients, I had to relearn how to walk, dress myself and take care of myself, from a place of brokenness, despair financial ruin and loss of community & support.
I don’t know how I was able to do it, but I am releasing a film in 2 months, that has been a labour of love, devotion and service to both myself and the international pain community.
Am I still a wounded warrior? Do I still struggle through each day? You betcha. But this film has given me a vehicle for change, a war cry against the injustices done to our international pain community. I will not be silenced, and I don’t want you to be silenced.
Funded solely by pain patients and pain doctors, we are almost at the finish line of production. It has been a long haul- I began in 2013. It has been a rough haul. But as I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I hold the promise that this documentary: Pain Warriors – has within its interviews, the ability to captivate minds and hearts, and change the way society, the medical profession & the government see intractable pain.
We have launched an online crowdfunding campaign to finish post production. I am personally reaching out to you, my pain community to ask for help in completing it. Since I joined social media 5 years ago, I have heard thousands of cries for help, for visibility, for better lives and better access to treatment. This film has the capacity to do all that, and more. Even if you are bedridden or can’t advocate for your rights, contributing to our film’s completion can be YOUR VOICE, YOUR ADVOCACY.
Kindly visit the link below, LIKE OUR CAMPAIGN (very important!), Follow and Share us and; as you can, please donate to this worthy cause. I intend to GIVE PAIN A VOICE for all the voiceless out there.
Thank you, God Bless
Tina Petrova
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