Marta Idowu, who has organized the Garfield Combined Auction since 2000, was hit by a truck making a left turn as she crossed the street at 4th and Columbia in early October.

Tests taken last Thursday indicated that she has no broken bones or fractures but deep internal bruising, known as soft tissue damages. “Every time I walk on my right leg I have a lot of pain in the lower back,” said Idowu. “The first week I was so sore I could hardly move.”

Idowu has been forced to stay at her house, where she is visited by a chronic pain doctor, a nurse, and a physical therapist. She is using a walker and takes about five different pain medications.

“It’s not my nature to be lying around or being in the house all the time,” she said. The doctors are hoping for a big improvement in the next two months, but until then she can’t do any of her normal activities, which included cooking and baking for people and organizing the Garfield and St. Paul’s auctions. “I’m missing all the stuff I do for the school…[I’m] not having lot of fun sitting at home and wondering what the worlds doing.”

The accident occurred about 6:00 in the evening as she went to a commission meeting for her job as a city policy analyst. About halfway across the street, she saw the truck and tried to run out of its way but was hit from behind. She flipped over, landed on her knee, and started rolling.

A man who had seen the accident ran over to help her, holding her hand and comforting her until the fire department and ambulance arrived. She was crossing the street legally and a police report was filed. “I just said how lucky I am to not have broken a leg or something,” she uttered thankfully. “I really feel blessed.”

Although two or more months is a long time to be nonfunctioning, Idowu is optimistic. “I’m can’t worry about why it happened to me…just focus on getting better and pulling through,” she said.

The Journey to Oz-themed auction, scheduled for April 13 at the Northgate Community Center, is being headed by parents Ginny Barney, Hindy Ko, Trisha Kahn, and Mary Sue Galvin in Idowu’s absence.

“Marta is kind of like boundless energy,” said Galvin. “[She has] been a part of the Garfield auction since 2000 whether or not she’s had a kid in the senior class. She’s just an amazing force.”