Feb. 17, for everyone else in Louisiana, was one of the biggest celebrations of the year: Mardi Gras day. A day for parades, celebrating culture and wrapping up a month-long celebration.
For the Armstrong family, the only thing they were celebrating was their 19-year-old daughter still having a heartbeat.
On that Tuesday night, LSU sophomore Sianna Armstrong had been involved in a car crash while driving back to campus from her hometown of Dallas, Texas. She was rushed to Ochsner LSU Health’s trauma unit in Shreveport after suffering multiple injuries to her face.
Upon hearing of the incident, Armstrong’s parents knew they had two things to do: pray and call Armstrong’s dance coach.
Armstrong is a second-year member of the Tiger Girls, with head coach Kandace Hale and the team referring to her as “Sisi.”
“I had two missed calls from her mom, and I thought they were butt dials,” said Hale. “But then her dad picked up, and managed to mumble out that she had gotten into a car accident.”
Hale said that the parents were unaware of what was gonna happen; they only knew that Armstrong was stable, but unresponsive. With the family being from out of state, Hale is considered Armstrong’s “Mom in Baton Rouge.”
Still in shock, Hale reassured Chase Marrier, Armstrong’s dad, that everything would be alright, and then made a phone call to her assistant coach about the next steps.
“I debated telling the team, but I wanted them to hear it from me so they had the right facts,” said Hale.
Coach Hale only had one set of instructions after informing the team: to start a prayer chain.
Hale and her team enjoy praying together in times of sadness, gratitude or celebration, so Hale said they would have prayed anyways. The day after finding out, the team spent that afternoon making handmade cards with inside jokes, instead of holding practice.
As Armstrong braved the path of recovery, Hale was doing everything she could from afar. She helped cover her school attendance, share updates and funny stories with the team and stay invested in her recovery through Armstrong’s parents.
“The best thing ever was how close I was with her parents; it felt like I was with her,” said Hale.
After the first reconstruction surgery, Hale got to see Armstrong’s progress over FaceTime, seeing Nikole’s wide smile through a wired-shut mouth. Over spring break, Armstrong surprised the Tiger Girls by joining a team Zoom call about upcoming events.
“It’s really fun to see her happy as ever,” said Hale. “She’s the same little bright soul that she was when she was dancing with us.”
Armstrong’s joyous personality, which is known on the team as infectious, is helping her recovery, according to Hale.
Hale voices that the Tiger Girls feel like a family because of their commitment to communication. As a coach, she wanted to constantly reassure the team that Armstrong was in the best place possible for this scenario.
At the same time, Hale asked for assurance from her dance team.
“I had a long talk about safety and paying attention, making sure the girls are riding with someone else and always wearing their seatbelt,” said Hale.
During breaks and long weekends, she is requiring the team to keep her updated with any travel plans. Hale said she usually conducts safety talks as a coach, but now her concern is “heightened.”
The future, according to Hale, is taking it one day at a time.
Armstrong was recently released from the hospital, where she is recovering back home in Dallas. This summer, she is expected to have one or two more procedures, and Hale is hopeful that Armstrong will be back at LSU in August.
As a coach, Hale has taken the role of supporting Armstrong and her family, as well as the rest of the team, with a selfless approach. While this situation is far from ideal, it has become a powerful reminder for those around them.
“Everyone on the team is realizing how grateful they are to have each other and not take anything for granted,” said Hale.
