Woman graduates from Coppin State University 12 years after almost losing her life
Helen Hargrave, severely injured in 2011 hit-and-run in Halethorpe, proves miracles happen
Helen Hargrave, severely injured in 2011 hit-and-run in Halethorpe, proves miracles happen
Helen Hargrave, severely injured in 2011 hit-and-run in Halethorpe, proves miracles happen
Helen Hargrave wasn't given much of a chance to live after she almost lost her life in a 2011 hit-and-run.
But she proved miracles do happen through the power of prayer, patience and perseverance.
In August 2011, Hargrave was a bright and ambitious Baltimore County middle school student. She was hit by an SUV near a bus stop on Washington Boulevard in Halethorpe.
"The doctors said she would never regain her brain functions, that she would wear a tract, and I did not accept nothing that the doctor said," said Hargrave's mother, Nashela Hargrave.
"In spite of being in the hospital, in spite of being counted out, and in spite of the coward that hit her never coming forward, she's endured," said her father, Kevin Hargrave.
Helen Hargrave's journey was marked by more than 200 days in the hospital and years of medical challenges, along with plenty of emotional peaks and valleys.
Now, 12 years later, she is a proud member of Coppin State University's Class of 2023. In the graduation crowd Friday morning were her parents and a host of other family members to witness yet another miracle.
"I took a year off and I came back to finish. I'm just so happy," Helen Hargrave said. "It's unbelievable. I can't believe I made it."
She endured and excelled, graduating cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education.
"I love my family. I have the best family, and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my family, my parents. My mother, she's in the crowd. She really helped me through college," Helen Hargrave said.
But this doesn't mark the end of her educational journey.
"I'm still here. I'm pushing forward, and it's not over for me yet. I've got one more degree to go," she said.
Helen Hargrave is pursuing a master's degree while continuing to be a teacher in Baltimore County.