On May 5, 2001, I was dispatched to an accident on I-26 in North Charleston. It wasn't a serious accident, and I estimated that it would take less than 30 minutes to investigate. I stopped traffic to move the vehicles to the shoulder of the highway. This was something I had done many times before, and drivers were cooperating. Out of nowhere, a tractor-trailer swerved into the median to avoid hitting the stopped cars. The rig ran into the median cable, snapping it. The driver tried to pull the rig back to the roadway. Unfortunately, I was in its path.

I felt the heat of the radiator first, then was sideswiped by the tractor-trailer and tossed into the air. In a freak chain reaction, the median cable whipped around my legs, tossing my body yet again. I landed on top of my patrol car, and then rolled to the ground. Somehow I managed to crawl to my car to radio for assistance. What felt like a lifetime had lasted only 30 seconds.

Surprisingly, there wasn't a mark on my uniform or body. At first, I couldn't tell what was broken. My main concern was that no one else had been hurt. En route to MUSC, the EMS team determined that I'd broken both of my legs, dislocated my shoulder, and broken an arm. MUSC is home to a Level I trauma center, where the most seriously injured patients are taken. I was their next patient.

Once there, Dr. Douglas Norcross, one of only six active trauma surgeons in South Carolina, didn't waste a minute. After giving me something for pain, I was taken immediately to surgery.

My injuries were serious. Rods and screws had to be inserted into my crushed legs and arm. Though I was alive, my future appeared bleak. Walking again would be difficult, if not impossible. My career was over.

Two days later, my body began reacting to the medications. Respiratory failure followed. My legs were swelling. My kidneys were in trouble. Fluid surrounded my heart. To save my life, Dr. Norcross induced a coma to calm my troubled body. More surgery followed. Fifteen days after the accident, I came out of the coma. Finally, I could begin the very slow road back to my old life.

It's not enough for the trauma system to save lives. The ultimate goal is to return patients to their pre-injury health. So rehabilitation was an extremely important part of my recovery. Dr. Norcross remained at my side, making arrangements for me to be taken to a rehabilitation center in Florence, closer to my parents. There my will to heal completely kicked in, and I worked harder than I ever had in my life. Within three weeks, I was able to walk with crutches.

In November 2001, I went back to work with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. I was assigned to light duty in the office. The following month, I was cleared for full duty. I still had pain, but I had a job to do. I had to keep going.

As a state trooper, I respond to accidents daily. Several times a week, our department deals with a major accident that requires a trauma center. Most people take for granted that if the worst happens, there will be an EMS team to take them a to a hospital ready to treat serious injuries. However, the trauma system, which includes EMS, trauma centers, the doctors and nurses, and rehabilitation centers, is not tax supported and is losing millions of dollars. If something is not done soon, the life-saving services provided by the trauma system at all hours of the day and night may disappear.

Right now the South Carolina Legislature is considering a bill called the Statewide Trauma System Act. If it passes, it will establish a formal infrastructure for our state's trauma system, and create a permanent trauma fund to help pay for this costly, but necessary care.

We need trauma centers. It's that simple. Had EMS not arrived immediately, had MUSC not been nearby with a trained trauma team, I might not have survived. Please let your representatives know that you want the trauma system to always be a part of life in South Carolina. The next life it saves may be yours or someone you love.

Wilbert Wilks is a 1996 graduate of The Citadel and a recipient of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety Trooper of the Year award.