Grainne Kealy, from Ireland, was involved in a terrifying car accident that saw her knees smash into her own face, breaking every bone in her face, leaving her with no forehead
A woman who lost her entire forehead in a freak accident has revealed her incredible recovery.
Grainne Kealy, from Laois, Ireland, was involved in a terrifying accident when her boyfriend’s car lost control on an icy road and crashed into a wall in the small village of Borris-in-Ossory.
At the time, Grainne had been riding in the passenger seat of the Jeep with her feet on the dashboard.
The crash caused her knees to smash into her own face, “faster than the blink of an eye” at 200mph when the airbag had been inflated. “I was one of those people who had my feet up. I thought I was going to be more comfortable,” she previously told the New Zealand Herald.
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Grainne warned: “The airbag system ignites a solid propellant, which burns extremely rapidly to create a large volume of gas to inflate the bag. The bag then literally bursts from its storage site at up to 200mph, faster than the blink of an eye!”
The crash in December 2006 saw Grainne, who was 22-years-old at the time, break every bone in her face and suffer a brain leak. Her injuries were so catastrophic that doctors were forced to surgically remove her forehead.
For two years, Grainne had no forehead, which saw her head “sunk in”. As part of her reconstructive surgery, she underwent 16 operations, and in 2009, was given a custom Italian ceramic forehead.
In a post on Facebook, Grainne explained: “I had really done a job on myself. I had multiple facial fractures (my mother was told that I had broken every bone in my face), a CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid) leak from my brain and oh yeah I lost two teeth!”
She added: “In 2007 I experienced a set back and had to have my forehead removed. Yes…my forehead! And yes…all of it! I lived without my forehead for two years until June 17, 2009 when I got my brand new Italian ceramic forehead.
“I’m sure most of you reading this are a little puzzled by this…I know I was when they told me. I had nothing in place of my forehead for two years. My head sunk in and I looked a little strange.”
Grainne has since revealed her transformation in before and after photos of her forehead injury following the life-changing accident. In an Instagram post back in 2016, Grainne, now 41, wrote: “What a difference a decade makes…. (and a neurosurgeon, a plastic surgeon, a max fax team, an ENT surgeon, a dentist, an eye surgeon and many many amazing nurses! Not to mention all at ABI) Haha.”
The post showed a photo of Grainne shortly after the accident, with bruises and scratches on her face, and another, more up-to-date image showed her with a beaming smile. The images are in stark contrast, showing her incredible recovery and transformation since having no forehead at all.
In a chat with The Sun this week, Grainne explained: “I had nothing in place of my forehead. My head sunk in and I looked a little strange. I still dislike looking in a mirror and I do not like my face.”
In an urgent warning to others, she added: “Try remember to keep your feet OFF the dashboard please. It’s scary how many people I still see doing it. You really have no idea how dangerous it can be. Please don’t make the same mistake I did.”
In another message she warned: “The only thing I can hope for people is to learn from my mistakes and don’t take the risk. You just don’t know. You can’t control every car on the road or the conditions around you.”
Grainne, who has since moved to New Zealand, is an avid campaigner for car safety and says she’s “still recovering” from her injuries. In addition, she said she has no memory of the three months leading up to the accident, the crash and the month that followed.