On Valentine’s Day, 2006 I was on patrol with my squad in Baghdad, Iraq. About halfway through our mission, my truck hit an improvised explosive device, and the shrapnel from the blast instantly severed my right leg above the knee. The slash through my leg lead to my femoral artery being exposed to the open air, and bleeding profusely. That day I ended up without a heartbeat for almost 20 minutes.
To my horror, I realized my leg was missing when I woke up 3 days later. My doctors eventually realized that the time my heart wasn’t beating caused part of my brain to die, leaving me with a permanent brain injury similar to Parkinson’s disease. This was the beginning of a 3 year long depression that was so dark, I had no hope.
One day during occupational therapy, my therapist suggested I try a hobby that used my fine motor skills to gain some of the control back in my hands. This prompted me to try making jewelry. I had not been a previous jewelry aficionado, as it isn’t authorized in uniform. But something took a hold of me that day and gave me the tenacity and curiosity to continue.
It took me 4 years to figure out why this horrific event happened to me, and in 2010 I started Tara Hutch Fine Jewelry with the following mission statement: Help women of all backgrounds find their own inner strength and confidence through the beauty Tara’s jewelry brings.This has been a healing journey for me to share my story with other women, and help them find their own internal brave warrior.
San Antonio, TX
