SAN DIEGO - One year after being seriously injured by a falling tree while covering a San Diego storm, 10News reporter Marie Coronel gave 10News anchor Jason Martinez an update on her recovery and some exciting news for her family.
On the morning of Feb. 1, 2016, Marie and photographer Mike Gold were in Mira Mesa setting up for a live report on storm damage in the area when a massive eucalyptus tree snapped without notice, and heavy branches crushed the both of them.
Mike suffered a compound fracture to his femur, while Marie suffered multiple and severe breaks to her arm, spine and neck, as well as a concussion.
Mike was able to recover from his injuries and was back to work a few months later, but Marie's road to recovery was slow and included multiple surgeries and countless hours of physical therapy.
Jason visited Marie and her family this week to check on her progress and Marie is no longer wearing a neck brace and appears to be very close to back to her normal self.
However, Marie revealed that there was an even more personal detail about the accident that added to the physical pain she was experiencing.
"A lot of people … no one really knew the extent of what happened to me, when the accident happened. No one knew that I was pregnant when the accident happened. So to have the accident happen … you have the surgery and then you go to an appointment and you see the baby's heartbeat, it gave you hope. But in your next appointment, the baby's gone. It was like another kick to the stomach," she said.
No one at 10News was aware Marie was pregnant at the time of the accident.
However, she shared with Jason some exciting news.
"As I am getting better -- I'm improving -- there is something positive we can share: I'm pregnant again," Marie told Jason.
Marie and her husband John are thrilled about the pregnancy. She is due to give birth in August.
The Coronel family won't know if a boy or girl will be joining sons Patrick and Joseph, but they will find out in a few weeks.
Marie continues to struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but talking about her traumatic accident helps. She also said the encouraging emails and messages from friends, family and 10News viewers has, in some ways, kept her spirits alive.
"Just thank you. You don't know how much that has helped me get through one of the toughest years of my life," she said.
Physically, Marie is clearly getting better. She goes through physical therapy every day, but she no longer needs a neck brace.
There's still no timetable for her return to the 10News airwaves, but she said stay tuned.
"There's no question that my heart is still wanting to go back and do the job that I've always wanted to do," Marie said.
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