Te Puke crash victim Hollie Snell speaks out about her four-year recovery

Hollie Snell says her survival showed she was a "strong wāhine". Photo / Mead Norton

Unlike many 21-year-olds, Hollie Snell cannot work, drive, study or drink alcohol.

The Te Puke wāhine says it feels “awful” knowing she cannot live “a normal life”.

Despite this, her mother says it is a “total miracle” Hollie is still alive.

On November 18, 2018, Hollie was in a fatal two-car crash on State Highway 33 at Okere Falls when she was travelling between Rotorua and her hometown, Te Puke.

The then 16-year-old suffered serious head injuries and her family was told she would not survive. Teao “Tilly” Marjoribanks, who was in the other vehicle, lost her life.

Respecting Hollie’s wishes, the family spent the first week preparing to donate her organs while she was on life support in Waikato Hospital.

But after 12 days in the hospital, Hollie showed signs of improvement. She was taken off life support and moved to the high-dependency unit.

Hollie Snell spends two days a week volunteering at the SPCA in Greerton. Photo / Mead Norton

More than four years after the accident, Hollie sits with her mother in their Te Puke living room. She looks glowing, with perfectly-done red lipstick and wearing teal-coloured eyeshadow and a matching-coloured dress. Listening to her talk and watching her mannerisms, it is impossible to tell she has suffered permanent brain damage from the accident.

But Hollie says her recovery has been “hell”.

“I can’t work, I can’t drive.”

She cannot do “a lot of things my friends are doing”, which feels “awful”.

“Because I can’t live, per se, a normal life.”

Her main challenge with her recovery was having no memory, as she suffered post-traumatic amnesia after the accident. She does not remember the accident, nor parts of her life before it, including her school ball in July 2018.

Hollie has had to relearn everything, including how to walk, talk and eat, and says her whānau are the reason why she got through.

She lives with her younger sister Sam, and her parents Dale and David. Her older sister Larnie Woodward lives nearby.

Another challenge for Hollie is not being able to participate in alcohol-related activities.

“All my friends have been having their 21st birthdays,” she said, to which she does not go.

Instead, for her 21st birthday, she went ziplining in Rotorua with a group of family and friends and had a fancy meal at a restaurant.

Now, Hollie volunteers twice a week at the SPCA in Greerton, feeding the animals and putting together their adoption packs. She enjoys walking her dogs and spending time with her friends, going to the beach and shopping. She sees three different therapists - an occupational therapist, a psychologist and a social worker.

Looking ahead, Hollie says her next goal is to “head right into learning te ao Māori” and become more fluent. She was “very good” prior to the accident.

“My tikanga was really up there.”

Hollie Snell and her mother Dale Snell pictured in 2019. Photo / Alan Gibson

Hollie’s mother, Dale Snell, recalls her spending one month at Waikato Hospital and another month in Auckland at ABI Rehabilitation when the accident happened.

On January 18, 2019, she returned home and started seeing an occupational therapist, a speech and language therapist and a physiotherapist.

“She was verbal by the time we got home but she had ... quite a bit of trouble with her speech. She was still more or less whispering and she couldn’t form sentences properly.”

Hollie suffered a “catastrophic traumatic brain injury” and sustained permanent brain damage, she said.

“Basically it meant that she had to start again from scratch. Like, she had to learn everything.”

She still recognised people but everything else was learned from a “blank slate”, such as getting dressed and brushing her teeth.

“Prior to the accident, her whole life is islands of memory.”

While her memory had been increasing for the past two years, there were still “big gaps”.

Physically, Hollie was “pretty much perfect” but she suffered from “extreme” brain fatigue, Dale said.

Dale said she gave up her career to become Holly’s guardian and caregiver. It was a “total miracle” Hollie was alive.

“I didn’t ever think that she would die. I just kind of knew intuitively in my heart of hearts that she’d come through this.”

Hollie says her survival has taught her she is a “strong wāhine”.