Oakmont Elementary school nurse Taylor Martin does not let being an amputee define her or slow her down in her job or in life.

After losing her left arm in a motorcycle accident in 2019, Martin has since discovered the best version of herself and hopes others can learn from her story.

“I do not take the small things for granted any longer because I know now, from experience, that life is worth so much more than to hurt over the things we cannot control or change,” Martin said.

One of 18 Crowley ISD registered nurses, Martin is in her first year working in the district as a registered nurse at Oakmont and Sue Crouch Elementary schools. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Crowley ISD after working at both Texas Health Resources Fort Worth as a Neonatal ICU nurse and Medical City Arlington as a lactation nurse.

Martin grew up in Alvarado and spent most of her time outdoors, while hanging out with friends and playing basketball. After graduating from Alvarado High School, she took her talents to Tarleton State University in Stephenville where she would go on to graduate in December of 2016 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing.

After graduation, Martin began her career working with newborn infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Texas Health Resources. She and her husband, Aubrey, also welcomed the birth of their first son in 2018.

In March of 2019, though, her life would forever be changed on a dusty backroad in Rio Vista, Texas. After visiting family and being at a fundraiser for Rio Vista High School, Martin and her husband were involved in a traumatic motorcycle accident.

“I remember some details like it was yesterday, but most of what occurred that evening is a big blur,” Martin said. “I remember thinking to myself to not move in case I had some type of spinal injury because my first thoughts were, I was paralyzed. Thankfully, I had no paralysis but unfortunately, I woke up in the hospital as an amputee.”

Upon ejection from the motorcycle, her arm was completely severed on site, and because of the overall health risks involved, surgeon Danny Holland of Methodist Dallas Medical Center, couldn’t re-attach her left arm.

“If you can only imagine, it was a huge shock to me when waking up in the hospital as an amputee because I was very unaware of how serious the accident was until I woke up from surgery. I was in ICU for about three days, then transferred to a step-down unit for the rest of my recovery. In total, I was in the hospital for about 11-12 days. After leaving the hospital, I knew I had a long road ahead of me, but I knew I had no choice but to suck it up and be brave for my family. At the time, my now oldest son had just turned 1, and I had to be sure I didn't miss a beat. It has been a roller coaster since the accident, but I have only come out a stronger person because of it,” Martin said.

Life was definitely different for Martin and her family moving forward. Being able to multitask took on a whole new meaning, and not having the use of both of her arms forced her to pay attention to every little detail, no matter how small.

“I remember being in the hospital, and the first thing I did was start thinking of how I was going to be able to put my hair up in a ponytail because, of course, being a nurse that's important, right? Well, I thought it was anyways. The first video that pops up when I search for, "How to put your hair up with one arm,” is a video of another woman that had been living as an amputee since she was 14 from an ATV accident. It was in that exact moment that I knew life was going to be OK,” said Martin, who begins work toward a master’s degree next year in Nursing Education.

“It may seem silly that a video of another amputee putting her hair up is what helped open my eyes, but it instantly put life into perspective for me. Curve balls will always be thrown your way when you least expect it, but it is what you choose to do next that makes the difference. Having a disability, in my case one arm, does not define who you are as a person. Only you, yourself, can dictate how your life turns out. I have chosen to only look forward and make the best of any situation thrown my way.”

By looking forward, Martin has overcome her obstacle, finding little tricks along the way that have helped make everyday life a little easier, while also learning how to be a better version of herself. She now takes things a little slower than she did before as simple tasks, like buttoning her kids’ pants or learning how to put on a sock one handed, now take a little bit more patience and time than they did before.

“So, please, if you learn anything from my story, I want it to be that life should always be taken with a grain of salt,” Martin said.

Martin can now be found jamming to praise and worship music while dropping off her 3-year-old and 1-year-old sons before coming to work at Oakmont. While at school, she spends her days taking care of all the students who come and go through the clinic all day, while also being a safe place for the students when they need a little break or need someone to talk to about life.

“Having one arm with this job has its challenges, of course, but there hasn't been much I've come across that I haven't been able to figure out by myself. I have all the support in the world at Oakmont. I always have someone here to give me help if needed. I am the type of person that will look for a way to do a task before asking for help because as an amputee, people already want to be as helpful as possible, but I am independent and want to do it myself before reaching out for help. I can open Band-Aids, assess the students as needed, fix ice packs, schedule doctor visits and keep the students feeling at ease. Having one arm does not slow me down,” Martin said.

Misty VanCampen, Crowley ISD’s director of district health services, said she is grateful Martin is part of the Crowley ISD Health Services family.

“We knew from the moment we interviewed Taylor that we needed her on our team,” VanCampen said. “She is a great nurse who is down to earth, genuine and kind. When she shared her story with me, I was inspired.”

Martin said being a part of the Crowley ISD and Health Services’ team has been a huge blessing.

“I needed a change from the hospital, and Misty and Jennifer (Timmons) did not even for one second doubt my ability to do this job,” Martin said. “I was for sure nervous because it was going to be different from what I've been used to, but I was up for the challenge. I am so thankful that Misty decided to take the chance on me with no school nurse experience because few people would. Misty and Jennifer have been nothing less than amazing. They are there for any questions or struggles you might be having and have all the grace in the world for all the clinical staff. They let you put your family first, and that is huge to me being a momma of two little boys.”

VanCampen said Martin is a fighter, not only for herself but for others.

“Taylor, thank you for bringing your best to work every day and making a difference in the lives of our students and staff.”