Last summer Bear Lake High School student Brin Collins was just getting off work with her camp crew, having dropped her friend Miya Keetch off in Ovid.
Brin doesn't remember what happened next.
Her memory picks up three days later—waking up in a hospital bed at Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello. In that in-between time, Brin’s life changed dramatically.
She had been in a head-on collision while driving over a blind hill in her hometown of Bern. She and the driver of an oncoming vehicle, Breann Roberts, had collided while Brin was going around 40 mph and Breann about 30 mph.
Both were airlifted via emergency helicopters to PMC and immediately taken in for surgeries.
Brin’s injuries were extensive: a fractured skull, three hematomas, a broken wrist, compound fractures in her left femur and right humerus, part of her left ear torn off, and a large chunk taken out of her right leg. She required three surgeries, a metal rod in her femur, and plates on her wrist and arm. Recovery meant two months in a wheelchair. Even when she could bear weight again, her right arm was still too weak to help her much.
Despite the severity of her injuries, Brin began to make progress on her road to recovery.
“I healed pretty fast with the help of others, friends, family, community and physical therapy,” she said.
In the days following the accident, her mind wasn't on her pain but on her parents.
“I was really just stressing about the money all this would cost for my parents and the stress it put on them,” Brin said.
The hardest part for her early in her recovery was not being able to do anything for herself.
“I just couldn’t move and do things on my own like take a shower or use the restroom,” Brin said.
Still, she never doubted for a second that she’d graduate.
“I didn’t care if I had to go to school in a wheelchair or do school at home—I was going to graduate and stay with my class,” Brin said.
Her friends and family were her constant support.
“They were really my biggest supporters,” she said.
Brin had been looking forward to a strong senior year. She had made the cheer team and felt confident about qualifying for state in pole vault.
The accident stripped away those dreams in an instant.
“After my accident I realized that I would not—and potentially never—be back to my full strength. That was really hard for me,” Brin said.
But instead of stepping away, she stepped into a new role—cheer team manager.
“My friends Harley Wallentine, Hayley Woolstenhulme and Miya Keetch helped me stay optimistic and stay in cheer even though I was not able to cheer,” Brin said. “I had a really fun time being with all the girls.”
Insurance limitations made physical therapy harder—Soda Springs was the nearest covered location—but Brin was determined. She stayed consistent with her at-home exercises. Emotionally, she leaned on her support network.
“Yes, I did have some hard times, but my friends and family helped me,” Brin said.
Despite everything, she graduated last week with all A’s—and her first ever B.
The outpouring of support from the Bear Lake community made a big impact on her recovery.
A fundraiser held for Brin and Breann helped cover some of their medical bills.
“I had a lot of friends from the community come visit me and send me letters, gift baskets, money, and just their love and prayers. I really felt the community’s love and prayers for me,” Brin said. "
Being involved in the Bear Lake High School Student Council and cheerleading gave Brin back a sense of normalcy.
“They helped me feel like I was still me, I was still a part of something,” she said. “The girls and Ethan (Glenn) still loved me as a cheerleader and involved me with everything.”
Considering all she's been through, walking across the stage on Thursday at Bear Lake High School's graduation at the Paris Tabernacle felt different than she ever imagined.
“Being able to walk across the stage with no limp and good grades and a good future ahead of me—I was really proud,” Brin said.
The 18-year-old sees herself as stronger and more empathetic than before.
“I know that I can do hard things,” she said.
Brin plans to attend Brigham Young University–Idaho in the fall of 2025 with hopes of becoming a math teacher. Her dream is to return to Bear Lake High School and teach trigonometry.
“This experience did make me realize how fast life can come to an end,” Brin said. “Every moment counts and there’s no time to waste.”
To anyone facing a life-altering challenge, Brin has one message: “You are not alone. Healing is a process that takes time, but it will get better.”
And what does she hope people take away from her story?
“Don’t let injuries or hard times pull you under. You can still overcome them and go after and achieve your dreams,” Brin said.