EDUCATION. Bromontoise Emma Savage wants to raise awareness among adolescents and young adults about post-traumatic stress syndrome, which she was diagnosed with following a car accident last summer. The 16-year-old shared a five-minute mini-documentary on YouTube, as part of her personal end-of-year Middle Years Program (MYP) project.
“I noticed that there weren’t many videos that dealt with post-traumatic stress syndrome, I found that it was a subject that deserved to be talked about,” says the student at the Jean-Jacques-Bertrand secondary school.
The young person has a clear message to convey to the population: “it is by persevering and seeking help that we are able to get through an ordeal like this.”
“It’s not necessarily easy in life, we can face difficult challenges which may seem insurmountable to us, but we are capable: we have to believe in ourselves and not be shy about asking for help,” says she said. There are plenty of resources available to us. »
ACCIDENT
On July 23, Emma confused the accelerator and the brake of the car she was driving as an apprentice.
“I was with my father-in-law and my boyfriend. Arriving at an intersection, I drove head-on into the car stopped in front of me, at a speed of around 90 km/h. It was quite a brutal impact. It was very traumatic. »
In addition to the psychological after-effects, Emma had to face physical problems. His right anterior cruciate ligament is still partially torn today. She also had a head injury.
“I also have the Mazda logo stamped on my arm! It almost looks like a birthmark. I call it the rebirth spot, because it allowed me to evolve and learn from this situation. »
Getting back behind the wheel was a very difficult ordeal.
-“I take desensitization courses with the Xpérience driving school every week to help me. This is a very big step. I was in avoidance at first. I was extremely scared. It had almost become a phobia. I refused to drive, but gradually, with the help of my family and my psychologist, I was able to start again little by little. »
MINI-DOCUMENTARY
Emma carried out this project from A to Z, starting with research and writing, through to filming and then editing.
“I am a very shy person and have difficulty talking about what I feel,” she says. I decided to make a video because it allows me to come out of my shell, while talking about my emotions. »
She revealed it in the last few days as part of her classes.
“Last week, I presented it to three classes. It was very emotional, I cried a few times. On Monday, I also presented it a fourth time. A good number of them are students I have known since Secondary 1. It was touching to see their reactions. »
The video, titled The Day Everything Changed (L’espace d’un moment), is available on YouTube.
