MINERAL CITY, Ohio — When 3News caught up with Brynn Goedel in her home in May, the 17-year-old Tuscarawas Valley High School student preparing for her school day, packing up her bookbag and putting the finishing touches on her hair in the mirror.
The day would be a relatively normal one for the high school junior -- a few tests, and her end of the year band concert that evening.
Normal is now something Goedel doesn’t take for granted.
On November 14, 2023, Goedel was traveling with the Tusky Valley high school band to a conference in Columbus when their charter bus was involved in a five-vehicle chain reaction crash on I-70 in Licking County. At the time of impact, Goedel had gotten up out of her seat to use the bathroom, and was standing in the aisle of the bus.
“I don't remember the impact at all, but I do remember waking up and my head was kind of fuzzy. I couldn't really hear anything,” she said. “My ears were ringing, and I just didn't really know what happened.”
When she came to, Goedel found she was pinned underneath something on the bus. She was pulled to safety, where she was laid down on the roadside, unable to feel her legs. From there, she was able to call her mom.
“She said, exact words, ‘Mom, our bus got in a little accident. I'll be okay. Somebody's getting CPR and I can't feel my legs,’” said Brynn’s mother Danielle Goedel. “So I'm like, she's super calm. Okay, that's good. She's alert and oriented and talking -- nice. But somebody's getting CPR and somebody can't feel their legs, and I don't think it's a little accident.”
Danielle, a longtime nurse, said she often chaperoned band field trips, but couldn’t that day due to work. With experience from her career, she had a sense that something was seriously wrong.
Unfortunately, she was right. The crash claimed the lives of students Wyatt Mosley, Jeffery “J.D.” Worrell, and Katelyn Owens, plus adult chaperones Dave Kennat, Kristy Gaynor, and Shannon Wigfield.
Goedel was taken to the hospital, the start of what would be a weeks-long journey of surgeries, treatment and therapy. She would later learn she had broken her collarbone, pelvis, and multiple ribs, had sustained burns, a bladder laceration, and was concussed. She’d undergo four surgeries, unable to return home until December 27.
Despite being told by a doctor that due to her injuries, she had a 95% chance of never walking again, Goedel persevered, determined to make a full recovery.
“There was a very, very small chance of her ever walking again,” said Danielle. “But we know - we knew she'd walk again because our motto is never give up. So she never once had one negative comment at all.”
Dr. Mark Adamczyk at Akron Children’s had Goedel as a patient two weeks after the accident, and was struck by her strength and attitude.
“Everybody that met her, I mean everybody, no matter [who] - residents, nurses, PTs - everybody just was over the moon about how great she was, how positive she always was,” he said. “She's been through about one of the worst situations you can possibly imagine and has been so strong and such a positive influence on everybody around her the whole time. It's just been amazing.”
While reflecting on the past six months, Goedel called the crash and its aftermath the hardest thing she’s ever been through. However, even as she reflected on the pain and loss she endured, she was still able to smile.
“I feel like I've always been a positive person and just I feel like a smile can always make someone's day,” she said. “I know it's really hard to keep a positive mindset, but just know that people are always supporting you and always there for you. And even if there's not someone, I'm sure I'll be there for you.”
Goedel and her mother emphasized the support they felt from the community throughout her recovery.
“We could not have done it without the support of our community,” Danielle said. “If it's prayers, if it's thoughts, cards, financially, donations, just rallying around our friends, the band, the choir, I mean everybody.”
“I know on social media, my mom would show me posts, and I got a lot of cards and gifts and flowers in the hospital, which just made me push myself harder each day,” Goedel said.
Cheering on Goedel as she worked towards recovery was HRN Construction & Restoration out of Dover. While their main focus is fire and water restoration, they put their skills, and network, to work when they learned of Goedel’s story.
“We do everything we can for the community, and just the smile that she always had,” said Katie Schweitzer with HRN Construction & Restoration. “Anytime you ever saw her, even in the hospital, it made it easy for anybody.”
Upon hearing that Goedel’s bedroom and bathroom were upstairs, Schweitzer and the HRN team jumped in to help, with the goal of creating a ground-floor addition with a full bathroom, bedroom and features like an accessible shower and wider doors and exit to accommodate a wheelchair.
Schweitzer said construction began in January with the help of more than 20 other companies who donated labor and materials. Schweitzer said that any costs incurred were picked up by HRN so that the project cost nothing to the Goedel family.
“It's just one less thing for them to worry about,” she said. “They have a lot on their plate, and if we can take away one thing, that's all that matters.”
Since coming home, Goedel still attends physical therapy to regain her strength, and she’s been able to enjoy some hallmark high school moments, from attending her prom, to continuing to play her clarinet.
Band camp starts in July, and she’s working towards being able to march with them once again. She said she’s also looking forward to a trip to Florida with family this summer.
While she is moving forward, she recognizes that not everyone is able to. On her desk in a frame sits an illustration of the three students who passed away. She describes victim Katelyn Owens as one of her best friends.
“They're looking down on me and I just know they’re with me every second and helping me with daily challenges, or really anything that I'm struggling with,” she said. “I just know that they would want me to succeed in life.”
When 3News asked Goedel what word would describe the past school year, she chose the word “chaotic.” When asked what word she hopes will best describe her future, she said “inspiring.”
“I really want to move on to great things, and I just know people are going to be supporting me on the way,” she said.