Cori Carver awoke bright and early on the morning of July 8 for a routine doctor’s appointment.

Weeks away from performing in “Cinderella” at Theater West Virginia, Carver’s mother Jill was driving the car in front of her as they planned on attending “tech” week in preparation of the upcoming play after Cori’s appointment.

Although she has no recollection of what happened that morning, the rain was pouring down as Cori and Jill began to merge onto the West Virginia Turnpike from Interstate 64 at approximately 8 a.m.

While merging, 19-year-old Cori lost control of her vehicle and hit the guardrail, which bounced her back into the passing lane.

When Jill looked in her rearview mirror, she watched in horror as her daughter’s vehicle was struck by a large tractor-trailer barreling toward her.

Cori’s vehicle was “T-boned” at the driver’s side door by the oncoming truck. In complete shock, Jill pulled over and ran toward her daughter while dialing 911.

Jill said the truck driver — who still checks in with the family on Cori’s recovery — recalled slowing down as he saw Cori lose control, but was unable to stop.

He said he saw Cori’s eyes looking point-blank at him when he hit her, but there was nothing he could do.

After the accident, Cori was stabilized at Raleigh General Hospital and then transferred to Charleston Area Medical Center.

As a result of the near-fatal accident, Cori had 5 inches of torn aorta replaced.

The CAMC medical team waited until 3:30 p.m. (seven hours after the accident) to perform surgery.

“There are no statistics on someone living seven and a half hours with an aortic tear prior to having surgery. She’s the first survival at (CAMC) to be transported as far as she was. When we left, the doctors said to Cori, ‘You know you’re a living miracle?’” Jill said.

Cori also suffered a severe, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, broken pelvis and ribs, torn liver and spleen and third-degree burns on her legs.

Jill called Dr. Nestor Dans at CAMC “a miracle doctor.”

“Her lungs swelled against her aorta, keeping her from bleeding to death. Cori experienced a truly remarkable recovery,” the mother said.

Cori’s lay in a coma for three weeks after the accident.

When she awoke, she was transferred to HealthSouth in Morgantown where she endured three months of rehabilitation.

As she started to become herself again, Cori’s academic aspirations once again come to life.

Valedictorian at Shady Spring High School in 2006, Cori refused to let the accident obstruct her; she began taking online classes from her hospital bed.

Jill says she doesn’t deem her daughter’s accident as being “horrible.”

“She’s never once said, ‘Why me?’” Jill asserted.

“If she could go back in time and stop the accident, she says she wouldn’t — because of the number of people she touched. That in itself is amazing. That’s the kind of kid she is. She’s an amazing person. God picked her well.”

Jill says the entire time Cori was hospitalized she was more concerned with other people than herself.

“She would come to me and say, ‘Mom pray for this person,’” Jill remembered.

“Cori is where she is at today because of the power of prayer.”

Truly believing God had a hand in her recovery, Jill says Cori proclaims “the angels are watching over her.”

Although Cori, now 20, cannot yet walk, there has been increased movement in her legs, and her mother says everything else has healed.

Today she attends classes three days a week at Concord University on a dean’s scholarship, double majoring in pre-med, biology and also studying theater.

Her father or brother drives Cori to Concord on school days and helps her get her wheelchair into the building.

Her father Dennis calls her “tough” and says he thinks she “will” walk again.

“It could take up to a year with the healing process. The muscles in her thighs can move, but she can’t stand — her spinal injury is preventing that,” he said.

Dennis says the therapists and doctors in Morgantown are real supportive, and Jill says Cori “has no doubt she’ll walk again.”

At Shady Spring High School, Cori was also a member of the chorus and jazz group and was selected for All-State Chorus and Governor’s Honors Academy.

Her former music teacher, Jack Deskins, said, “She was an absolutely fabulous student — one of the most wonderful students I’ve ever taught.”

“Everything about her is unique. She started singing before she started talking, and she has a wicked sense of humor. She dyed her hair psychedelic blue for her high school prom,” her mother said.

A benefit dinner — which they’re calling “The Cori-bration” — to raise funds to help with medical expenses is planned for noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at Shady Spring Elementary School.

Her parents are calling the event “not only a fundraiser, but a celebration.”

Take-out will be available.

Shady Spring chorus groups and the jazz group Local on the Eights will perform at 3 p.m.

To make a donation, contact Donna Facello at 304-673-2927.

Cori will also share her story — and will sing — at Daniels Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday.

To learn more about Cori, visit: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/coriannecarver. More than 34,000 visitors have logged on in support of Cori.

— E-mail: jayres@register-herald.com