'Buckle-Up Princess' Living Proof Seat Belts Save Lives

Ani V. Hudgens visited with the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon at Ben's Family Restaurant on Sept. 12, where she talked about her "horrific" accident and resulting mission to save children's lives — one seat belt, car seat and booster seat at a time.

"In 2010 my life forever changed after being involved in an horrific auto accident," Hudgens says, in a notice she hands out at community events. "I suffered numerous injuries, the most serious being a traumatic brain injury resulting in seizures and profound hearing loss."

As a result, Hudgens said, in an interview at the Kiwanis meeting, "I lost my 25-year career a a human resources director."

But the good news, she added, is that she is alive to talk about it because in the accident she was wearing her seatbelt.

Her triumph over tragedy, she said, led to her calling.

"Now what I find my path to do is to educate children, and their parents, about the importance of riding in their booster seats and car seats and for wearing their seat belts," Hudgens said. "It's my own program and I'm in the process of getting my [tax-exempt] 501(c)(3) [status]."

Getting people to wear their seat belts should be self-evident; but the reasons for not doing so, Hudgens has heard.

"Every excuse in the book," she said. " 'It's uncomfortable,' 'I don't like it,' 'It wrinkles my clothes.' I've heard them all."

As Florida's Super Queen 2014, Hudgens is representing Seat Belt Safety Awareness and the Brain Injury Association of America.

The America's SUPER Pageant "is a personal development opportunity for women of all ages throughout the world," according to the group's online notice. "The delegates who represent their state, country and international titles have beauty, style, poise, intelligence, confidence and a strong desire to improve the world around them by promoting a personal platform and/or the national Safety Belt Use & Awareness Platform. The pageant gives these women the opportunity to advance their personal goals, while acting as a role model to those around them."

Next up for Hudgens is the national pageant competition, in Montana in June.

Hudgens said she recently received national certification as a child safety technician, which she said aids her work in explaining to parents the proper, and necessary, uses of child seats and booster seats.