I Survived a Bird Smashing Through My Plane's Windshield and Slamming into My Head Mid-Flight

"When the responders looked inside ... the first thing out of one of their mouths was, 'Oh my God' "

Chelsea Myslik was wrapping up a Caribbean vacation with her family in St. Thomas in June 2023 when she was hit by a bird that had barreled through the windshield of the plane she was riding in.

Since then, the 37-year-old Colorado resident who once dreamed of earning her pilot's license has undergone multiple surgeries to treat the injuries she sustained in the crash while still dealing with the lingering effects it has had on her body.

Here, she shares her story with PEOPLE’s Abigail Adams, in her own words.

I can remember the day so vividly. 

It was June 4, 2023, and I was about to leave the British Virgin Islands with my mom and dad. We had just dropped off the boat we had rented for the vacation, which took four years to plan.

The Cape Air plane we were boarding happened to land a bit early, so we hoped to get back to St. Thomas ahead of schedule as the pilot suggested, due to how busy customs could be. In no time, we took off. It was pretty hazy that day, and an employee at the boat rental company noted that it was hotter than usual for the time of year.

As we started to circle, I looked out of the left side of the plane at the water and islands. Suddenly, I heard a loud bang. A bird [which I later learned was a Frigatebird] had crashed through the windscreen, shooting like a bullet over another passenger's head before slamming into my face. It was terrifying.

Related: I Was Internally Decapitated After a Motorcycle Crash. This Is My New Normal

Soon, I realized I was hurt. I could see out of my left eye but not my right, and there was lots of blood. Immediately, I put my forehead on the side of my dad’s leg.

At that point, I still didn't know what had actually happened. I truly thought all the blood that I saw and could feel was mine. 

When the responders looked inside the plane, the first thing out of one of their mouths was, "Oh my God. Holy s—.” I still had bits of bone, guts and feathers all over me as a first responder helped me sit on the stairs. It was so hot, you could already smell the blood and flesh.

Soon, my face was swelling up. It was difficult for me to open my injured eye and I was worried I’d lose my vision.

A CT scan later revealed I sustained a major blowout fracture around my eye. A deep cut on my face was medically super glued back together as well. One of the cuts on my cheek was very reminiscent of a beak, and it left a scar.

The station manager for the airline arrived at the hospital before my parents. He was very apologetic and very kind. I was deeply awkward because I didn't know this human at all and was feeling deeply vulnerable.

Later that night, we were transferred from the hospital to a hotel. My mom washed my hair for me because I couldn't bend forward, and it took three or four attempts to get all the gunk out, even after multiple people had to do so tried earlier that day.

The next morning, we went in to see the ocular plastic surgeon, who gave me the green light to fly home. But that was an ordeal in itself.

I was deeply exhausted by the time we reached the airport. I couldn't pick up anything more than 5 lbs. I went from being a very athletic, strong human — I had been weightlifting for months at that point — to requiring a wheelchair to travel around the airport.

We got on the first flight to Houston and I was feeling okay, ready to go home. But when we started to take off, the flight anxiety settled in and I softly cried from St. Thomas to Houston. The flight from Houston to Denver was not any better. I tried to sleep, but I was acutely aware of everything. 

My first surgery was on June 22 [of 2023]. The plan was to put a plate in my eye socket to keep my eye from sinking into my sinus cavity. Before the surgery, I started seeing shimmering in my periphery. I ended up with severe double vision post-surgery and even got a patch for my eye in hopes of strengthening it.

Afterwards, I didn't start driving until August. I also did a test run to see if I could live alone around two weeks after my operation, but I still couldn't pick up anything over 5 lbs. or bend forward due to the extent of the fracture. The double vision was still pretty intense, too. Eventually, I went back to live with my parents for a few weeks.

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In October, I underwent a second surgery to replace the plate under my eye. Since then, I have much less double vision post-surgery, but my periphery is still not great. A good chunk of my face has been numbed, and my teeth are numb. I can feel a little bit of nerve regeneration and it feels like a million bugs are crawling in my skin, and I still have what I call "glimmers" in my line of vision on the right side.

This preventable freak accident changed my life forever. I went from wanting my pilot's license to being the person that's gripping an armrest and softly crying. I’ve always been the person that reads the brochures on the plane to make sure there’s [an] exit strategy and, now, I’m reading these pamphlets even more intently.

Before the crash, I was so happy and had so much excitement about my future: going for my boards in acupuncture, starting a clinic, putting all the knowledge and effort that I learned over nearly four years into practice to help people. Now, I'm the one asking for help.

Currently, I'm working a part-time job at a Pilates studio and helping with client management. I am trying to be okay with where I am in life, but I’m also trying to push forward.

Don't get me wrong, there are a couple days where it just feels insurmountable. But if there's anything to know about me, it's definitely that I have big ideas — and I aim for them. Like going for my national board exams, or making the podium in a bike race.

I am also working to hold Cape Air accountable. My attorney Erin Applebaum at Kreindler & Kreindler claims the plane did not have proper safety glass, meaning the windscreen was unable to withstand the force of the bird strike and prevent it from crashing into the aircraft. The federal lawsuit was filed against the company on April 18.

[Cape Air did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Court records do not reflect that they have filed a response to the suit.]

Related: United Airlines Flight Returns to San Francisco Airport After Bird Strike amid Series of Safety Incidents

Overall, I am thankful for the people who have supported me throughout this ordeal. As someone who enjoys and chose a career dedicated to helping others, this has been a deeply humbling experience. I'm not the person that I was building myself to be a year ago, and that has been hard to accept at times. 

But I’m persevering, and I’m thankful everyone on the flight – myself included – survived.

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