HSA is dedicating this year's Ken Rochester Meet to Caitlin.
An account has been set-up to help defray medical expenses.

You can contribute to the
Caitlin Dudley Donation Foundation
at any Redstone Federal Credit Union

Updated 6-18-08: Caitlin came home on June 11 and is now recovering at home! She and her mom are so happy and thankful to be back at home with family and friends and very thankful for all the prayers, cards and gifts! She said she didn't know how many people cared for her. Caitlin has already been visiting at the local pools and is excited about watching her Jones Valley swimmers compete in their meets this summer and they are thrilled to see her.

She's up and moving around very carefully and is in physical therapy three times a week in Huntsville to help with mobility and strength. She is still having some nerve pain which the doctors say may take a while to completely heal. Caitlin is still under the care of her doctor in Mississippi and will be returning for follow-up appointments. She's expecting to have another surgery in October to remove the plate and pins in her shoulder.

Updated 6-4-08: Caitlin is doing great! She is starting to learn to walk. It is going to take some time before she walks on her own but we know it's going to happen. God has blessed us and for this we are thankful. Caitlin's mother is still staying full-time in Jackson and will also have to stay home with her when they come home for a while. Caitlin is still scared to be alone but as she gets more freedom that comes with walking, we expect her to over come this. Caitlin is coming home June 11 if she keeps doing as well as she is now. We thank all of you for you help because without you Caitlin would not have a home to come to. She has said she did not know how much she was loved but now she does. This is the silver lining that we hold on to. Thanks again, Kimberly

Update 5-20-08: Caitlin is working hard in rehab. She is now able to get a shower with the help of her mother and sister. She is still in her neck and back brace but she is in a wheelchair at least once a day and is feeding herself finger food. These may seem like small steps to you and me but to Caitlin, it is getting back some of her normal life. I feel like this is helping her with some with her anxiety. The latest problem is with her bad leg; the tendons on the lower left leg are not covered. They are trying some cream on the skin and tissue to get them to reproduce. We hope this works because if not, then she will have more surgery. I will let you know what happens when we know. Thanks for your concern, Kimberly.

Update 5-2-08: Caitlin is now at Methodist Rehab Center. She is working with doctors on dealing with her fears. She is remembering everything now. This is great news; it means that the damage to her brain is minimal. The down side is Caitlin is reliving the wreck, and at the same time dealing with the injuries she has to over come. This is a lot for anyone to take especially a teenager. Caitlin is not sleeping and has asked us to keep all bad new about the other girls from her. Caitlin knows her friends where in the wreck with her but she doesn’t know what condition any of them are in at this time. We ask for your prays for Caitlin be at this time, that she finds a soft place to rest and peace of mind. Pray that God's hand is on her body as she works towards healing. We give thanks to all of you that have prayed for her and have given to us to help her in her time of need.

Update 4-25-08: Caitlin is talking, she also knows who is in the room. They get her up just for a shot time but it is a start. She is having trouble with her left hand; the fingers are not working the way they should. We are not sure why at this time but they are going to run some test to try to find out. We hope the problem can be fixed with out surgery. Caitlin is out of SICU. They are working on where she should go from here. Her needs are great so what is next, takes planning. As soon as we know, we will pass the word on to you....Thanks, Caitlin's Family

Update 4-18-08: Caitlin is about the same this week. She is still being heavily sedated so her body can get lots of rest and work on recovering. Thanks for all your help and love for Caitlin.

Update 4-14-08: Caitlin is off the ventilator but must still be fed by a feeding tube. Friday's surgery on her shoulder and collar bone took about five hours. The doctor had to put in a plate but her collar bone and shoulder are now repaired. She is not expected to have any more major surgeries until we know more about the long term effect of the muscle loss in her lower left leg. They have removed the tube in her leg and are going to do testing today to make sure all is progressing as well as it looks like from the outside.

Update 4-10-08 from the family: Caitlin is making a little headway in her progression. She has had a number of surgeries. They have put a metal rod in her leg. Caitlin has lost muscles in her lower left leg. At this point, the doctors do not know the extent of the damage to this leg. She may have to have muscle reconstruction, by taking muscles from other parts of her body to rebuild muscles in her leg. They have also placed a tube in the leg to drain fluids to less the risk of any more muscle loss. Skin grafts have been done to close the leg up as much as possible. Her pelvis was crushed and they have fixed it by putting in 4 screws to hold it together. She has fractured ribs on both sides. Her lungs did collapse. She fractured her ribs. She is still on the ventilator and in a medically induced coma. She had a small bruise on the brain after the wreck. Her collar bone is also broken and she is scheduled for surgery on 4-11 to repair it. She is expected to be in the hospital for 3 to 6 months. She could be faced with many more surgeries on the left leg. It seems to be the worst damaged of everything. She has a long road of therapy and rehabilitation.

4-7-08: Merve Terzioglu, 21, a freshman on the Delta State University Swimming and Diving team, passed away Monday, April 7 from injuries received in an automobile accident on March 29. Terzioglu had spent the past eight days receiving treatment at the Elvis Presley Trauma Center in Memphis, Tenn.

“Our hearts go out to Merve’s family, friends, and teammates today. She was a star in and out of the pool and her passing is such a tragedy,” said Brian Hein, head coach of the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen Swimming and Diving teams.

Terzioglu, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, was a standout performer in the pool for Delta State this season. She garnered the Most Valuable Swimmer Award at the New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference Championships in February and was recognized as a member of the All-NSISC team. In her first season with the Lady Statesmen, Terzigolu participated in the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships in St. Louis, Mo.

3-31-08: 1 dies, 3 injured in single car wreck
Landry Barbieri, Bolivar Commercial, Staff Writer

An accident on U.S. Highway 61 Saturday night took the life of one Delta State University student and left three others in critical condition. The Delta State University campus was struck with tragedy this weekend when a Saturday night wreck took the life of one swim team member and critically injured three others.

“The DSU Department of Athletics, and the Swimming and Diving teams are mourning the loss of Molly Bates, who was tragically killed in a one-car accident on (U.S.) Highway 61,” said a statement made to the media this morning. “Three additional students, Merve Terzigolu of Istanbul, Turkey, Regan Niemann of Oviedo, Fla., and Caitlin Dudley of Huntsville, Ala., were injured in the accident and are currently recovering in area hospitals.”

According to Mississippi Highway Patrolman Mike Mullins, the four students were traveling south on the highway in Bate’s white Toyota 4-Runner, when the driver lost control of the vehicle. Joe Phillips, Bolivar County Volunteer Fire Department Coordinator and one of the first on the scene, said he believes the wreck may have been caused by a blown out tire.

“I think what happened was she had a blowout in the back or a flat,” said Phillips. “We believe that is when the car entered the grass median and began flipping,” said Mullins. “It obviously made several flips before landing in the middle of the median. All four females were ejected from the vehicle.”

Mullins said that two of the passengers, including Bates, were thrown 50 feet south of the vehicle. The other two passengers were hurtled 50 feet north of the SUV.

“One of the girls actually landed in the north bound lane of traffic and is extremely lucky that she was not struck by oncoming traffic,” said Lee Tedder, BCVFD Battalion One Chief.

After witnessing the accident, fellow travelers immediately stopped their own vehicles to assist the victims and contacted emergency medical personnel. Willie Pitts of Indianola was ahead of the 4-Runner in the southbound lane, but turned around to aid in the rescue.

“They were lucky that the person traveling right behind them was a nurse on her way to work,” said Pitts. “She got out and started helping before the ambulances arrived. We were really just trying to calm down the girls that were trying to talk.”

According to rescue personnel, Bates was believed to have been the first thrown from the vehicle and died on initial impact. Pafford EMS was dispatched to the scene and quickly began stabilizing the three survivors for transport to area hospitals.

Dudley, a freshman, and Bates were transported to Bolivar Medical Center in Cleveland, while Terzigolu and Niemann were sent to Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in Clarksdale.
Dudley was then transported to the University Medical Center in Jackson, while Terzigolu and Niemann were sent to the Elvis Presley Trauma Center in Memphis, Tenn. All three are currently receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the accident.

“All of the victims are in critical condition at this time, but they are stable,” said Mullins. “I think that one of the girls has lost a kidney, another will need major facial reconstruction and the third had severed arteries in her leg. All three are suffering from back and neck injuries.

“They have a long way to go,” said Mullins. “I will be checking on their condition as it progresses.” Emergency personnel, rescue workers and law enforcement on the scene all agreed that the accident will remain in their memories for a while. “This was a horrible scene,” said Mullins. “And to know that they were all so young is upsetting.”

“That ranks on the top of the worst wrecks for me,” said Phillips. “That was pretty tough.”

“Life is such a fragile thing. One minute the world is in front of you and the next it’s taken away,” said Brian Hein, head coach of the Delta State Swimming and Diving team. “Molly was a wonderful person, full of personality. She was someone you naturally gravitated to and someone that wanted the absolute best for her friends and teammates. Our prayers are with all the families touched by this tragedy.”