Exclusive: Local nurse & DUI crash victim seeks community’s help on recovery road

Two times in fourteen years, Cherlyn Daves was struck by a drunk driver. The most recent accident was in March in Cathedral City, while she was on the scene of DUI investigation, working as a forensic nurse.

The accident left her hospitalized with a broken leg – and now she’s working on the road to recovery. At this stage in her rehabilitation, she’s confined to a wheelchair and is unable to drive or return to work.

“It’s still an upward battle. and it’s one I’ll be having for a long while,” said Daves.

Daves says her biggest challenge is being away from her family. At home, she takes care of her husband, who is also in a wheelchair.

“I haven’t been home in over a month and, to me, that’s the hardest part. Is that, somebody who chose to drink and drive took me away from my husband. Who counts on me for everything,” Daves said.

Daves faces another upcoming battle, medical expenses for the two and no car for work or doctor’s visits.

“We’re struggling. We were struggling before. We weren’t doing as well as we would’ve liked to have been, but we were just getting there and then this happened, and so we’re way back down again,” Daves said.

But she’s hoping people can help get her back on her feet, making sure this doesn’t happen again.

“My experience with this can maybe make other people think ‘oh my god, I can’t do that to somebody. I can’t hurt somebody, the way this woman has been hurt,'” Daves said.

She hopes to return to work and says her company is trying to make changes for forensic nurses like herself, making sure they’re safer out in the field.

Besides the physical battle, she also faces a financial one – the mounting medical bills from her recovery are adding up. Daves and her family are reaching out to the community to help with the medical expenses – to donate to their GoFundMe here.