A young lady from Johnson City--who was involved in a boating accident last summer--fought for her life and won that battle.
Now after losing a leg, she is in a fight to regain some normalcy in her life, and the word quit is not in Miranda Johnson’s vocabulary.
"We just hit a wake from another passing boat … just so ... that it just caused the boat dump us out,” said Johnson.
Its snowy, the lake level is down now, but the accident Johnson is describing took place here on Boone Lake August 1.
"About the time I came back to the surface … I didn't have time to move and the prop from the boat just got me on my abdomen,” said Johnson.
A quick trip to this boat dock turned into a quicker trip to the emergency room, seven surgeries, two months in the hospital and the loss of her hip bone and leg.
Now Johnson wants to get back to her job as a nurse. She is two months away from becoming a full-fledged RN, but she needs a prosthetic leg.
Since she can't work she has TennCare for insurance, but TennCare has twice denied her request for the leg that will help her get back on her own two feet.
"The first time they stated it’s because I have got a wheelchair … the second denial stated it’s because I wasn't a runner,” said Johnson.
She now lives with her parents. Her dad gave up his job to stay at home with her. Now they are just waiting on their last appeal to TennCare.
"She don't need us to take care of her ... she needs the leg so she can take care of other people,” said Terry Sells, Johnson’s father. “I mean that's her life.”
Late this afternoon TennCare e-mailed me their two denial letters. They do include the wording that Johnson alluded to, but they also indicate that they are still trying to gather more information before making a final decision on her appeal.
Several of Johnson’s friends have held small fundraisers for her, because the cost of the prosthetic hip alone is $2,700.
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