SELLERSBURG, Ind. — Exactly one month ago, people across the nation held their breath, watching as a Sysco semi truck dangled off of the Clark Memorial Bridge for hours following a three-car collision.
Sydney Thomas, the truck driver, was left stuck in the cab almost 100 feet above the Ohio River before a heroic rescue by Louisville firefighter Bryce Carden who rappelled down to save Sydney.
Now, one month later, Sydney's mom Sirtoya "Torrie" Carver is recounting the call she got that told her it was her child in danger.
“My heart was breaking, there was no where I could go…but just try to compose myself at that point," Torrie said. "The only thing that got me together at that point mentally…I heard her voice. I heard her voice, she was screaming. So, I knew she was alive.”
RELATED: Sysco donates food, money to Louisville Fire Department three weeks after daring bridge rescue
Torrie was at work that day. She's worked as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for 26 years. As soon as she got the news, she rushed to the hospital Sydney was taken to.
"When I looked in my daughter’s eyes, it was just shock; it looked like she was crying blood," she said. “She just kept telling me when I was there, she said, ‘Mom, all I could see was death. I saw death look at me in my face.’”
Once she knew her daughter was safe, Torrie knew what she had to do: be there for her family.
“I really just wanted to scream to the top of my lungs, but I knew I needed to hold it together for them, for myself, but more than anything, just get on my knees and thank the Lord that he kept my baby," she said. "I was so grateful, so so grateful."
Torrie and her husband, Charles, took over caring for Sydney's 4-year-old son, Mason.
“He’s just full of energy, he’s full of life, he’s full of love, that is just who he is," Torrie said.
Mason is autistic and nonverbal; she said they're lucky if he sleeps four hours a night.
Torrie and Charles have been taking care of Mason since the incident on March 1. Torrie had to stop working to be at home full-time.
“The bills don’t stop, they don’t stop. Nothing stops. We’ve been okay thus far, but it’s coming. It’s coming," she said. "[Sydney] is not here. We have her in a place where she’s safe at the moment and getting the help that she needs.”
Torrie said there is no timeline of how long Sydney will be away.
"But whatever it takes we’re going to do," Torrie said. "Whatever it is we have to do. She has a village and the village is here and everyone is willing to help."
The Carvers have started a GoFundMe to help with bills and building a fence in their backyard to make sure Mason can safely run around and play outside.
And while life seems to be going a mile a minute, Torrie still finds the time to show gratitude for the life she has been given. And above all else, put her trust in the Lord.
“If we can just take the time to treat one another better, there’s so much more we can do together than against one another. That’s what I’ve taken from this more than anything," she said. "It’s all going to come back together in due time. Not in my time, but in God’s time.”
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.