I first met Anna Rogovin almost 20 years ago, quite by accident. It was on the day of my son’s eighth birthday and he and I were outdoors, me with a camera in hand, looking for a good place to use as a backdrop to photograph him to commemorate the occasion.

We found the perfect spot when we got to a corner store loaded with beautiful colorful flowers on display on the sidewalk outside the shop.

As I took my son’s picture, a woman I didn’t know came up to me and volunteered to take a picture of my son and me together. That woman was Anna Rogovin. We soon learned that she and my son shared a common birthday, albeit a few years apart. We also learned that we lived only a block apart. Ever since that day, Anna and I would always stop to chat whenever we ran into each other, and she would, more often than not, ask about my son.

So, knowing Anna all these years, it came as a complete shock to me when I read that she’d been involved in a hit-and-run accident that had put her in the hospital and taken both her legs. After crying, I composed myself and visited her in the hospital the very next day.

Popular Anna already had had a number of visitors, both family and friends. Everyone has only nice things to say about her. I walked into Anna’s room which was filled with flowers and cards, not knowing what to expect, and was greeted cheerfully by an upbeat, friendly Anna who seemed like someone hosting a party instead of a patient lying in a hospital bed.

According to Anna’s description of the events of that fateful day, she said she was heading for the local senior center which she attended regularly, and had just stepped off the curb on Gun Hill Road, about to cross the street facing the center. She thought she had time to cross since the traffic light was still blinking. Unfortunately, the driver of the large truck, reported to be an 18-wheeler, which was stopped at the light in front of her, started moving at just about the same time, striking Anna as she began to cross.

Since the driver kept going, the wheels of the truck rolled over Anna’s legs, crushing them.

It is a miracle for Anna to have survived at all. Those trucks are humongous, about the size of a double-length city bus.

In trying to piece together the chain of events of the accident, I spoke with Diomaris Rosario, who was also visiting Anna at the hospital that day. Diomaris explained that on the morning of the accident, she was at the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center dropping off her young son at daycare. When leaving, she came down the stairwell and nonchalantly glanced through the window. She saw a crowd of people surrounding someone lying in the street. Even though she didn’t know the victim, she hurried out to offer assistance.

Diomaris called 911 and waited with Anna, holding and supporting her all the while, even removing her own coat to cover Anna, until an ambulance arrived. She helped the medics place Anna into the ambulance. Diomaris said that Anna remained conscious and alert despite the fact that her legs were crushed.

Diomaris continues to visit her at the hospital to keep abreast of her condition.

A week after my first visit, I visited Anna again, this time accompanied by my son, and she seemed genuinely pleased to see him. We went down memory lane. Anna recalled that he had been dressed in a white suit the day we first met all those years ago. I showed her the photo she took of us back then, which I had brought with me on that visit.

Thankfully, Anna continues to be on the mend. She had been moved from intensive care to geriatrics, and during our visit, was out of bed, and sitting in a chair. Anna appreciates all the shows of support she has received. About her situation, she said, “Ours is not to reason why….”

The loss of legs is a life-altering event. Anna is a trouper and accepts her daily therapy without complaining. She may be diminutive in size, but big in spirit. Kudos to Anna for her positive outlook. She was a Navy WAVE during WWII and certainly now serves as a role model and inspiration for disabled vets.

Meanwhile, police continue to work to find the truck driver. They have placed notices on signposts in the area of Anna’s accident offering a reward for any information about the mishap. In addition, a large blinking traffic sign has been placed on Gun Hill Road at the corner of DeKalb Avenue facing cars traveling west toward Jerome Avenue. It reads, “Accident. Serious Injuries. Thursday, 3/13/08, 10:30 a.m. Witnesses call 1-800-577-TIPS.”

“Serious injuries” is an understatement.

For now, we all wish Anna well with best wishes for a speedy recovery and a future filled with good health. G-d bless.