Faith, Family and Friends Inspire Cindy Grimes to Embrace Life and Serve Others

Mike and Cindy Grimes, celebrating life

“I don't wait for the storm to pass, I learned to dance in the rain.” This signature phrase appears below all Cindy Grimes’ e-mail messages. To hear her story and meet this upbeat woman, you’re convinced she’s survived several category 5 hurricanes. Still, she manages to dance and sing in the rain.

Together with her husband Mike, Cindy is the victim/survivor of a 1970 drunk driving crash in Tyler, Texas. Their five-day-old baby and Cindy’s mother burned to death in the crash. The hot windshield melted into Cindy’s scalp, so she wears a wig. Her older brother Jim pulled her from the car, but she endured six months in ICU, skin grafts, endless physical therapy and permanent disabilities.

Mike had to have his spleen removed. Cindy’s right foot was broken in two, connected only by skin. She lost all the toes on her left foot except her big toe, but her determination prevented doctors from amputating her foot. While she still has no feeling in either foot, and her right hand is visibly impaired, Cindy has accomplished more in the last 37 years than many people do in a lifetime.

She credits Mike, her faith, her church and friends for helping her survive. Devastated when doctors said she’d never be able to have more children, she has continued to surprise them. During her 38-year marriage, Cindy gave birth to a daughter and son, both now grown and she and Mike have a five-year-old granddaughter, Hannah.

Actually, Cindy has about 400 children. Her passion is working with special needs students. For the last three years, she has served as the school secretary for John Tyler High School. Before that, she worked at Caldwell Elementary for 17 years. Students have always felt comfortable discussing their disabilities with her, since she is very open about her visible impairments – and the dangers of drinking and driving.

Another passion of Cindy’s is volunteering with MADD. She has spoken on Victim Impact Panels throughout eight counties for the past 15 years. She has earned MADD’s state and national A Difference Maker awards, even though MADD didn’t exist until 10 years after the drunk driver struck the Grimes’ car in East Texas.

Cindy wishes she’d had a victim advocate and the support of MADD’s victim services. Instead, she’s made sure that she educates people of all ages about the horrors of drinking and driving. Before volunteering for MADD, she spoke as a volunteer in prisons and adult probation programs for three years.

“Being physically limited for life,” Cindy says, “is more than a daily challenge. It’s an hour by hour, minute by minute challenge.” Her arthritis is so bad from her breaks and burns that there are still lots of days when she can’t get out of bed.

But when she does, grass seldom grows under her feet. Although she has a hard time walking on grass or anything that’s not level, Cindy loves to work in her flowerbeds. She also swims for therapy, loves antiquing and going to flea markets and enjoys quilting and handwork.

Cindy remembers one doctor’s words: “You do know there’s no medical reason for you to be alive today. I hope you’re doing what your life was spared for you to do.”

Indeed. And it’s easy to imagine Cindy Grimes and Gene Kelly, singing and dancing in the rain.

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