Today, marks the 2nd Aniversary of what I like to call "The Day that I Shall Always remember" This gets rather long, so I am warning you

I was in the 9th grade and I was in Earth Science class, I was 15 years old, and I was suppose to get my Driver's Permit April 3rd. I had been grounded from getting it before hand, and I had to wait.

It was a normal day, I sat in the first row, last seat. I always put my book bag on the back counter as I hate people kicking my book bag and hitting, my "Magic" cards, (yeah I was a loser, so get over it). It was 2:55 and the announments to go home would come on any minute. I grabbed my stuff and was standing up and I looked at the clock as I put my binder into my book bag, I saw it read 2:55:42 and then I turned my head back and I saw a Carolina Blue Lugz T-shirt worn by Nick Ashley, and he had some pencil shaped looking think in his hand.

The next thing I knew something had been sprayed like a water hose had sprayed something into my eye and on my face, then burning, it was like I hate fire all on top of my face, and it continued to get hotter, and I screamed. I could not see and I could not get rid of this pain. I threw down my glasses, and someone was like hugging me, and I pushed them off, I think it was Nick, but I could not tell, I could not understand anyone. The teacher Lorraine Fister finally came back and asked what was going on , ands I was like my eye is burning! Nick sprayed( I wanted to cuss, but refrained as I did not know the severity of what was happening) crap in my eyes. She then turned on a faucet and told me to splash water into my eyes, I could not stand still that long.

So we go to next door, to a women name Michelle Swartz, she asked who had did it, I told her Nick Ashley. She then takes me to an eyewash station, and I hear people saying that I would be cleaning the floor up, and I then found out, that water was going all over the floor, and the water did not come up very high, as I hit the side of my head all over the little brakets on it.

Then Swartz said some with me, and she took me to the door of the room it happen, and yelled for Nick to get into the room. I was left to stand there, and I wanted to go to sleep and just fall to the floor. I managed to walk to my seat with help of a few class mates. I put my head down, and then the bell rang. A friend that is highly trained with the local EMS, said Chris you need to to get a Dr. right now!, and told someone adult that was standig in front of me the same thing, I in a matter of 5 minutes my head was about to explode from all of this happening.

I was taken to the same eye wash station, and I started to feel water standing covering my shoes, and my pants. Andrew Livengood, Vice Principal comes in and is "briefed" on what has happened and this is when the words, Sodium Hydroxide is mentioned. I did not know what this is, but it didnt sound good. They try to call my father, and they say no luck.

Livengood says "Well water is getting all over the floor we can't have this. Take him to the water foutain."
Those words were burned into my mind forever.

I am like WTF...Someone help me here, please, I tried to say no and nothing came out.

I was taken to the water foutain, and my hand slapped down on the button to make water come up, and I was given a chair to lean on and told to put my face into the water. I put my face into the water, and it was hot! the water was making my eyes even more on fire feeling than before.

A Teacher came by, and asked was I alright, I am like no, my face is on fire. and the other teachers came back and they said we have this under control, they also come back with Livengood, and Livengood says, "You all are the trained professionals, I will let you handle it as you know more about it than I do."

I couldnt take it anymore, I kicked the water foutain, and that made even more angry, and hurting.

Ken Reising, walked past, and saw, and asked, they filled him in, and they thought well Sodium Hydroxide hmmm...you can use my eye wash station, it goes to the sink.

So they take me off the water fountain, and I my right eye was not burning and I could open it, the eye lid however felt like it was just burning on fire, and my left was in gulfed in pain. I saw my friend Leslie. she said Chris are you ok, like any normal guy, I was like I will be ok, just some stupid stuff happened, and I was pushed on wards, because someone was pulling me as I could not see well enough to walk 4 feet.

I was taken to his room, and I was seated in a big office chair, and he pulled this water hose looking thing out, and said water is good for your eyes can never hurt em'. Well Swartz held the hose until she got it to the right speed, and told me to put it on my f ace, and get as much as I wanted. We were alone for abit, I couldnt know exact time, as I was in shock, and it felt like hours. I asked her what Sodium Hydroxide was, and she said like Drano that eats stuff in your pipes at home. I am thinking great, looks like I am screwed, she said it was nothing major. I am thinking eat through pipes, she must be BSing. Before I could say more we were rejoined by a grup of women I would say about 5. Fister, with 4 more new female, Dauney Collie the cheer leading and Science Teacher, a older black lady who I want to say is Ms. Whitley, the now testing coordinator, and the others I can not say exactly.

They then said that the water was not getting to my eye, and I need to have someone hold my eye. they said lay him on the counter. they cleared it off from the sounds they made it was like they cleared a building, I got up there, and knocked some glass vase over, I had my hand on it as I thought it as something stable, I could not see well enough to know any better. I had a gas tube sticking in my back, and they wondered why I groaned in pain more.

One woman finally said, should we call 911. The quick response was "What can 911 do for an eye injury". I am first though a relief is on the way, and now I hear this. Someone was like maybe we should talk to the dr. next to Winn-Dixie, as I go to him all the time, and he is great. They call him nd they get an appointment up for me, without even asking me. Very great people I am thinking sarcastically

I began to think I was going to die, I prayed to God, I said God if I am going to die, let this be the day, for I know what pain is, and if it is your choice I am ready. I wish to be with you, and if death will solve this pain I have, then I welcome that.

They begin to fill some paper out on a Student Accident, and I told them how old I was and the date. And these women kept rubbing my hair saying what a trooper. Saying I was brave, I want brave I was scared, I was in pain, and I wanted someone to help me the way it was suppose to be, and get me off this dang valve.

I asked had anyone called my father, and no one could tell me. I then heard my name over the intercom, I said my dad is here, I need him.

They took paper towels and had them soaked in water, and they said keep these against your face. I did so, Cauley asked where my book bag was, and Fister told her.

We walked to the front, and my father was not there. So we sat down on the benches, and one lady said we should right down the chemical for the eye dr. They asked what was the Chemical Equation for Sodium Hydroxide is, they didnt even know. Sqartz said I believe it is NaOH.

They handed me this paper and told me to keep it and show it to the Dr.

My dad pulls up in an 89 ChevyCamaro I-RocZ, that you can hear from a mile away as the engine is so powerful. They all jump up and run out there, and leave me sitting there, my hand was on my book bag, and I grabbed it , and said I want my dad, so I start to head for the door, and I hit the wall and the door halfway, smooth move but I didnt care who saw that, I was about to passout when I hit the sunlight, as I didnt know what to expect. I stood behind them for about 30 seconds, and my dad was like "Chris get into the car" I got in and they handed my dad a piece of paper. My dad later told me they acted like I had won th lottery and they were the cheer leaders wishing me well.



Well thats all I will write at the moment, I don't want to deal with what happens next, it hurts to really remember what happens.

I can't let this stuff make me hurt me each time I think about it, but it does, and it makes me angry, I am crying right now, why you might ask, because I was hurting and non one there that was there di d a thing to help me, and I just can't let that go, they watched me sit there, and think I was going to die. Here is the last part of the story for March 29th 2000.

My father picks me up and asks me what did I do, he accused me of doing something wrong, and he then turns down going to the local Highway 70, and he says who the heck is this Dr. I said I dont know, and he looks at the paper I had in my hands and I tell him that is the paper with the chemical name on it. He says "Who the hell is Noah" I again said its Sodium Hydroxide, and he pulls on to 70, and h got quiet all of a sudden. He getson his cell phone and calls local Dr. and says the problem, and we will be there in 8 minutes. The ride to Garner was about 15, and I know that very well. And we turn and all of a sudden, I felt the car moving and I am being pushed back, I knew something was not good.

he asked me questions,and I could barely keep from falling asleep. And he asked me about things, like what was I doing, and I kept falling asleep in mid-sentence, my face was still burning, and he turned on the AC, and the paper towels are on my head.

We arrive at the local Dr. and we quickly go in. I am sat in a chair for about a moment, and I am greeted by an older lady, she tells me to keep my eyes closed and let her arm be my guide. We go to a room, and she immediatly takes off my Blue JYNCO shirt, and says open your eyes, I open the right, and try to open the left, but I can not, I try again and I open it a bit, and it BURNS. I groan and it burns, my father is telling me Chris open your eyes, and the lady takes my hand and starts to open it. In my mind I am thinking Someone please take this pain away, it hurts, the more water is placed on it, the more it burns.

She then tells me to take off the white shirt I am wearing, as it might have the chemical on it. My mother and sister arrive then as well as the Dr. and another nurse come in, they are told to get more towels, and they are also told to get these medications. I am at the eye wash almost taking in water, and I feel like I a about to be drowned to death. I fight to breathe, I fight not to take the water in but I can not breathe through my nose.

I am there for a very long time, the ice cold water felt great to my face, and I couldnt get enough there, but without the lady holding my eye, I could not keep it open.

I was then sat in a chair, covered in towels as my whole body was wet.

The lady began to tilt my head back and put one drop of something in, then she said relax. I am thinking right, will do, after the pain is gone. She put another in, and it burned!
She put another type in and the said sit there. They talked as we sat, and they took a wooden match stick as it was described to me, and was put into my eye.

My pH was a 13. Very Dangerous, and I was to be at a level 10 before I could be moved to a better place. But the people could nothing further for me. I had to go to a better place for containment. I was to go across the parking lot and they would have the things I needed. I put on my shirt with the aid of my father, and I rode with my mother in the B;acl Crown Victoria we had at the time, and we went across the paring lot, My father had to get home as something was going on at home, I was not aware of at the time. We walked into Dr. Johnsons and they said they did not know anything about me.

So we walked out and then I walked back in and said if this is Dr. Johnsons office, then it is the right place, Is This Dr. Johnsons office. They said yes, and a older lady came up behind me and said are you the one with the chemical burn, sorry I was in the back, they need to come with me, then one lady said what about the insurance, they spoke with my mother for a few minutes about the insurance, Well Path, and they said our Cary office takes it not us. well I could not go to cary, and my mom said may I call WellPath and you get started, I'll pay for it if they don't.

I was taken to a room where this lady asked me a 5 questions, and then she took me to another room with an eye chair, and she told me to stay right here, and my mom and Dr. Johnson I think came back with the nurse, and they tilted the chair back, and they began to wash my eye out with these liter bottles, I would say they used about 2 bottles of it completely and they started testing my eye with wooden match sticks again, they keep saying how the color was too this or strong, they had to get me down to a 7 which is normal, after they got me down toa 10, Dr. Johnson looked at my eye more closely

"You will never be able to see again, I am sorry." Dr. Johnson said to me.

I could not help it, I began to get all emootional, and I prayed to God, "please Lord, do not let this happen, I need my sight, and I know this can not be, I would rather die, than loose my sight. I will do aything to have it back to the way it was", I was crying and my right eye began to tear, and my left began to burn enven more and I felt no tears coming from the eye. I could not belive this was happening to me. "God please let him be wrong"

I was not sure if I wanted to go one any more, I just didnt say a word, and they kept poking the match sticks and they kept spraying the bottles of stuff in my eye, I think they used a total of about 5.

Dr. Johnson then called Carolina Eye, and asked for Dr. Sanatana.

He was not in, but Dr. Talluto was on call.

They managed to get my eye down to a 7 barely, and that we would have to hurry to get me there to the State Fairgrounds which would take 30-45 minutes depending on the traffic at almost 6 o clock

I fall asleep on the way there. and I was pulled out of the car before waking up.

I am taken by my sister and mother and left the car. We meet some foreign woman and as is this Carolina eye. she says yes, We take an elavator to the 2 fllor, and we go through this door and meet another lady Dr. talluto, she immediatly takes me and checks my pH, she says it has gone almost to a 9 again. So she goes and gets towels and gets a guy that was there, and says get plenty of this type of fluid to clean my eye out with.

They get towels and cover me with some and the floor, and they use about 7 bottles of it, and they get it down they also put this drop to numb the pain, it did a bad job, I felt like I was under water seeing out, but I did not feel the burning as much cept when I moved my eye lid. I had to stay for an extra half an hour to make sure it was not going back up.

I was there until about 7:30, and I was given 4 presciptions to have, and I needed to come see her tommrow at 7:30 and I needed to be sure not get anything in my eye, and keep those meds in me eye.

We leave and go down the elevator, and my mom uses the pay phone to call my dad, she talked, and I wanted to speak to him, and all I said was Hey Daddy, everything is going to be ok, I am alive.
I was so sure I was going to die, and I was so out of it I didnt know what to do.

We go to CVS and get my presciptions in about an hour, I just slept and I knew everything was going to be ok, I just talked to my dad and he said everything will be ok.

I sit and I cry when I think about that, as I thought I was going to die, and I did not know what to do, but I knew something was going to happen.

Maybe you don't understand this, and maybe you don't care, but I wanted to let everyone know, and this is the truth un cut and un interrupted.

I did not censor the names out as, they are the truth, and their is no slander here, but the truth as I heard it that day. Thank you to the Dr.'s and thank you to my parents.

Thank you to God, for without you, I would not have been able to make it without your strength.

I hope this adds to your knowledge about me, as I can not explain everything I do, or why I believe in something.

Chris