Joni Bowers is recovering from an accident that left her neck and back broken. She is pictured with her two children. (Photo provided)

WARSAW — A Warsaw woman is home and recovering from serious injuries sustained in a vehicle accident earlier this month.

Joni Bowers, 25, Warsaw, was driving her 2008 Pontiac when her brakes locked up, causing her to lose control and skid into an oncoming pickup truck. Bowers sustained multiple serious injuries, including a broken neck, broken vertebrae, punctured lung, broken collar bone, broken shoulder blade and lacerations on her spleen and liver.

“I just got a phone call that she had been in an accident and they’d flown her to Parkview,” Bowers’ mom, Jennifer Bowers, said. “It was quite a shock. When you hear she has a broken neck and a broken back, when you hear that, you think the worst, of course.”

Bowers, who cannot see well out of one eye, also had glass in her good eye. Her teeth also went through her lower lip and she is missing part of her tongue. For several days, she would not allow anyone to bring her children, ages 3 and 4, to the hospital because she did not want them to see her like that.

“They really missed her,” Jennifer said.

Despite the extent of her injuries, Bowers is on the road to recovery. She was released to go home over the weekend and has shown determination as she continues to progress.

“They took her down the hallway at the hospital before she left and they asked her if she wanted to turn around and she said, ‘nope, I’ve got kids at home.'”

This determination surprised everyone at the hospital.

“I can’t believe she is up and walking,” Jennifer said. “Even the nurse came in her room, the one who took her for the walk. They took her for the walk and they asked her three or four times if she wanted to stop and she said, ‘no, keep going,’ and even the nurse said, ‘you are one strong girl because when I looked at you I would never have guessed that you’d be doing this.'”

Since then, Bowers has received an outpouring of support from friends, family and the community. One person started a Go Fund Me page in her name to help cover her medical expenses. So far, the page has had a good response, but as the Bowers family knows, when it comes to medical expenses, every little bit helps.

For now, Jennifer said, Bowers is just determined to return to life as normal, as quickly as possible.

“She is so ready. She loves her job, she loves what she does,” Jennifer said. “She’s a worker. She’s ready to go back.”