Riding their motorcycle in Hancock on the way home to Antrim from a baptism, Wanda Constine remembers the moment her husband loudly swore, causing her to peer into the road. There, she recalls seeing something black and fuzzy on all fours.
“I can’t say if it was a bear or a dog. I can’t say any of that, but I’d seen an animal … it was coming toward us,” she said.
The next thing she knew, her husband reacted quickly, steering their motorcycle into the other lane. Hitting dirt and debris washed up from a previous storm, the motorcycle fishtailed, separating her from the bike and her husband.
“I don’t know if he was still on the bike, but I know I flew,” Wanda said.
She remembers lying conscious on the road with the glass visor broken on her face. Both riders wore helmets.
“I was calling out for him. He didn’t answer at all, and then after that, I realized something obviously was way worse than I wanted, so I cried out for help,” she said.
Time seemed to last forever, Wanda said. Eventually, a woman came to her side to help while another man helped her husband until medics arrived.
“I felt paralyzed … I was in so much pain and I could not move,” she said.
On the afternoon of July 19, Wanda and her husband, Jeremy Constine, were airlifted from Hancock Elementary School to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center after sustaining severe injuries.
Since then, Wanda has been released while her husband continues to receive care at the hospital.
According to Wanda, the entire right side of Jeremy’s body was injured in the crash. He suffered four brain bleeds and multiple broken bones; his right lung collapsed, and there was fluid in his spine.
On July 29, 10 days after the accident, the ventilators were removed, and Jeremy woke up from a medically induced coma after Wanda stepped in for the nurse to lead him through simple commands demonstrating fitness.
“I did it myself. I said, ‘Listen, can I do the commands? Because I know him and he’s just stubborn and he’s not gonna listen to you,'” she explained.
Jeremy currently has a rod through his right leg, plus three bolts and a plate in his back. He has lost about 35 pounds and now has a gastrostomy tube because feeding through his nose was not enough.
“I’d have to say that we’re really dealing with his TBI (traumatic brain injury). That’s pretty emotional right now, for me, my children. We have good days and bad days,” Wanda said.
Jeremy has been diagnosed with short-term memory loss.
“You ever watched ’50 First Dates’? It’s like that,” she joked.
Into the unknown
In addition to Jeremy’s status, Wanda has her own ongoing medical concerns. She suffered six fractures in her back, a brain bleed, and her body was extremely bruised.
She remembers her mouth and throat coated with dirt from calling for help after the accident.
“I didn’t pay attention to it. I didn’t care about it. I had to just scream,” Wanda said.
A nurse had to suction the dirt and sand out at the hospital.
On Aug. 7, Wanda received a back brace fitting to help with the fractures. The doctor recommended that she not lift more than 10 pounds, which means Wanda can only hold her 6-month-old son for short periods.
On top of the medical stress, the couple had planned to go on insurance provided by Monadnock Paper Mills in October, meaning they are not currently insured.
With help from the hospital, Wanda signed up for NH Healthy Families, state-funded medical coverage through NH Medicaid and the Granite Advantage Health Care Program, which will take effect in the next couple of weeks.
While that will help the family afford some of their medical bills, Wanda shared her concerns about the cost of rehabilitation once Jeremy is ready for it.
According to Wanda, the insurance will cover only 30 days of rehab for Jeremy, and while the hospital said he can receive at-home care afterward, she feels uneasy about bringing him home so soon.
“If he’s not mentally stable and safety-wise, I don’t think I can do that, so I would have to have him longer in rehab,” she said.
Additionally, after three weeks of care, Wanda has medical bills adding up to over half a million dollars on her kitchen table.
Life before
Wanda and Jeremy have been in a relationship for close to seven years.
Recently married, the couple has four children, two of whom are from Wanda’s previous relationship.
An average day for the couple meant Wanda stayed home taking care of their young kids while Jeremy worked at Monadnock Paper Mills.
Wanda said he would often work doubles since he was the sole provider for the family.
“He works really hard,” she said.
For the past two years, Wanda said, the couple had been focusing on rebuilding their life.
“He now has to refight everything all over. It’s sad, but we can do it,” she said.
Overwhelming support
The Constine family’s life has drastically changed.
Wanda drives to Lebanon daily to visit her husband and for her own appointments. Every other night she switches between staying at the hospital with Jeremy and spending the night at home with her kids.
“I wouldn’t be able to go over there without the help,” she said.
With her mother staying home with the kids and the church delivering meals for the Constine family, Wanda said she’s able to focus on pressing issues.
“I’m super, super grateful,” she said.
Additionally, Wanda and Jeremy’s friends organized a fundraising site to help offset daily costs and looming hospital bills.
Currently, they have raised over $3,600 toward a goal of $10,000.
Wanda expressed her gratitude for all the support they have received from family, friends, strangers and the town of Antrim.
“We have a great community around here,” she said.
To donate, search for Jeremy and Wanda Constine on supportnow.org.