Life as you know it can change in a moment.
March 26, 2003, was a spring day like any other. Sitting in the living room waiting for Tori and her older brother Rob to come home from school, a warm spring breeze and sounds of a typical afternoon came in from the open front door. Suddenly, riding on that breeze came Rob’s anguished scream. Running outside to follow those screams would reveal the source of his anguish. Tori was lying seemingly lifeless on the ground, the victim of a hit-and-run accident caused by a drunk driver.
The next several hours at the hospital were a blur while neurosurgeons, orthopedists, radiologists, intensive care doctors, general surgeons, and plastic surgeons worked tirelessly to help Tori. Finally, days later, the Andreozzis received some concrete news: Tori’s body was stable and her physical injuries would heal, but she sustained a traumatic brain injury that wouldn’t. Life was forever changed. Dreams of dances, graduation, college, a wedding, and grandchildren faded in an instant as hopes for Tori to breathe on her own, make eye contact, and recognize her family came to the forefront.
The lives of Tori and her family were irrevocably changed, but those who love her most searched for a way to let Tori keep doing what was most important to her – helping others. Out of this desire, the Tori Lynn Andreozzi Foundation was born so that in some way, Tori could continue to make a positive difference in the world.
