Thought to be in a coma for the rest of her life, former NIU student Lisa Hessenius is now recovering after she was struck by a car in February 2004.

Hessenius was walking west on Stadium Drive when she was struck by a car heading south on Annie Glidden Road.

After the accident, Hessenius was sent to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago for two months, where she had to re-learn everyday habits such as sitting upright, brushing her hair and picking up a pencil, said Jean Hessenius, Lisa’s mother.

“I had to find faith in myself and believe I could do it,” Lisa said.

Lisa was still in a wheelchair until June 2004 and was fed largely through a feeding tube, Jean said.

“She didn’t even speak for the first month,” Jean said.

At the DuPage County Convalescent Center, Lisa learned to walk with the aid of a walker. She returned home in June.

Lisa will continue to have cognitive problems, however, Jean said.

“She can talk the same as you and me, but math is hard for her and she has some problems with memory loss,” Jean said. “She carries around a notebook to help her remember.”

Lisa currently has a fulltime caretaker in her home and can walk with a single cane, Jean said. Lisa is not in physical therapy anymore, but she participates in aquatherapy to keep in shape.

She has also started taking classes again, placing into Reading 110 at Elgin Community College where she started last week, Jean said. She also participates in a Fox Valley Recreation Group for people with disabilities for socialization.

It is uncertain whether Lisa will return to NIU, but she remains friends with those she knew in school.

“My friends have been great,” Hessenius said. “They saw me all the time when I was in the hospital and came to visit me whenever they wanted to.”

Lisa also returned to NIU this past November and walked across the street where she was hit.

“I hope NIU will build an overpass so no other family will have to go through this,” Jean said. “If she wasn’t such a strong woman, she wouldn’t be where she is right now.”

Lisa also said she believed the new safety measures taken to make the intersection safer are a good idea.

“I really want NIU to try and protect other people,” Lisa said. “Unfortunately I was hit, but I don’t want other people to get hurt.”