Woman Celebrates Birthday With Those Who Saved Her Life

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - A woman on the verge of turning 25 made it part of her birthday wish to thank the rescuers and doctors who helped save her life after a car accident that almost killed her.

On Wednesday Megan Stahlke met with those people at Littleton Adventist Hospital where she spent nearly four months where they reviewed her case, and her recovery.

Stahlke was a passenger in a car in August of 2011. The driver swerved to miss a deer and the car rolled four times. Stahlke did not have her seatbelt on and was thrown 40 feet from the car and her face was smashed.

Stahlke broke several vertebrae in her neck and her face had to be reconstructed in a 12-hour surgery.

She met with the rescuers and doctors who helped to save her life because she just wanted to pass along thanks, but also a message about wearing a seat belt, no matter what.

"I just want everybody to be safe. I don't want anyone to have to go through what I went through to work to get to where I am today," Stahlke said

Her actual birthday is on Monday. She has just returned to work after her accident but hasn't yet started driving again.