Columbus woman writes about making the right choices

Nicole Thrasher realized she could have lost her life.

The Columbus woman says after she crashed her truck and was seriously injured, she knew God had a purpose for her.

“I had to finally open my eyes,” said Thrasher of the crash that occurred about three years ago. “God wanted me to live. God is in control. God is the answer to everything.”

Thrasher is a 30-year-old single mother of six. She works as an office manager for a Columbus business. She has attended Columbus State University and plans to return and get a degree in human resource management.

Thrasher said she is living life the way it should be and that is in a responsible fashion.

“I am trying to provide for my family the best I can,” she said. “I am making the right choices.”

But she did not always do that.

There was a time she was hooked on alcohol and illegal drugs. She was in relationships where she was abused and became abusive herself.

“Drugs took over my life and my health deteriorated,” she said. “I had no initiative to do anything.”

For a while, the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services placed her children in the custody of her.

Thrasher has written and self-published a book she hopes will be an inspiration, one that will help others avoid making the same mistakes she did.

It is called “Choices: The Nicole Thrasher Story.”

The 72-page book is available on Amazon.com and at nicolethrasherchoices@gmail.

“It’s plain and simple,” Thrasher said. “You have choices in life and making the wrong ones can cause you a lifetime of pain.”

She said she has always wanted to write something inspirational.

“I want to share my story with the world and let everyone know that you can overcome anything placed before you but in order to do that you must make the right choices,” she said.

Thrasher is a Kentucky native who moved to the Columbus area when she was 3 years old. As a young child, she was an honor student who enjoyed going to church services at the House of Mercy.

But in middle school she said she began to make poor choices, hanging out with the wrong people. She also began pulling away from the church.

“I started skipping school a lot,” Thrasher said

The she got pregnant at 14.

Thrasher had two children when she graduated from Carver High School in 2004.

“I have struggled and have had a lot of challenges,” she said. “With God’s help I have survived and feel I am in a good place now. By telling my story, I want people to know they should not let their hardships get them down and to have hope.”

She said one of the toughest times was losing a premature baby at birth possibly because of her drug use. Still, she did not change.

Thrasher said people tried to get her on the right track but she did not listen.

Thrasher does not remember much about the crash that had a major impact on her life. She was in the vehicle with two of her children and only remembers waking up and seeing flashing blue and red lights.

Thrasher was taken to Grady Hospital in Atlanta. Her left ankle was broken with bone and ligaments hanging out. She also had a broken bone in her hip and numerous cuts on her hands and face.

Later, she would be convicted of driving under the influence but got probation.

“Thank God I didn’t have to go to jail.”

She began attending church and bible study during the week.

Thrasher quit drugs and feels God helped here there.

“I never had to go into rehab,” she said.

She likes where she is now.

“I am living life,” she said. “Life is not controlling me.”

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 8:43 PM with the headline "Columbus woman writes about making the right choices."