Tahlequah Woman Battles Back From Injury

By Craig Day, The News On 6

TAHLEQUAH, OK -- An Oklahoma volunteer continues her long road to recovery.  Four months after being critically injured while helping hurricane victims, Beverly Kohl is back in her Tahlequah home.  The woman, who has helped so many others with her giving spirit over the years, is now touched by the kindness of others.

Beverly Kohl is just finishing up another grueling hour of physical therapy.  Just to have the limited movement she does have is remarkable, considering where she's been.

11/10/2008  Related Story:  Injured Hurricane Volunteer Recovering

"After the accident, I couldn't move at all and now I can move my arms and get more strength every day," said Beverly Kohl.

The accident happened in September, while Kohl was in Baton Rouge helping with Hurricane Gustav relief.  Kohl fainted and fell from a Southern Baptist Disaster Relief feeding trailer, breaking her neck.

"Next thing I knew I was laying on the ground about five or six feet down," said Beverly Kohl.

Now after 11 weeks in ICU and three months in the hospital, Kohl is at home in Tahlequah.       

In addition to hurricane relief, Kohl has also been on other mission trips including serving aboard Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone.  Now the person with a heart to serve others is on the receiving end as she recovers.               

She's thankful for her family.

"To come in every morning knowing what a long day we face, what challenges we have for the day, but they are always so upbeat and seem happy to be here.  And, to be helping me out," said Beverly Kohl.

In addition to family and friends, Kohl says her faith is also helping during her difficult fight.

"I just don't think I could have survived at all without knowing that God is taking care of me.  That he's promised not to give me more than I can withstand," said Beverly Kohl.

For now, she'll have to withstand continued physical therapy for three days a week and an uncertainty about what the future holds.

"Every day is a new challenge.  Every day we work hard.  Every day we see a little, maybe just a teeny bit of improvement," said Beverly Kohl.

And each day, they celebrate her improvement, as well as being alive.

A fund is set up through First Baptist Church in Tahlequah to help cover Kohl's medical expenses.

By the way, the same Southern Baptist Disaster relief team that Kohl worked with in Louisiana is now working on ice storm disaster relief in the Tahlequah area.  Her home was one of the first they helped to clean up.