Renaye Wade’s life changed completely when she was seriously injured in a crash involving a distracted driver – now, she’s one of many keeping an eye on the Legislature, where heavier punishments for those caught distracted driving are on the table.

“I had to learn how to do everything, I even had to learn how to breathe,” Wade told CTV News.

Two years ago, she was a passenger in a car that was stalled on Yellowhead Trail when it was hit by another vehicle.

That driver, identified as Andrew Chapman, admitted he was distracted when he tried to change lanes and hit the car.  The situation got worse – a semi-truck hit the car as well.

Wade was in a coma for 34 days.

“People don’t deserve a life like mine,” Wade, now 20-years-old, said. “They should just put their stuff down, not drive distracted, keep your eyes on the road, don’t make someone live a life like mine.”

Her story is the driving force behind Bill 204, a piece of legislation that’s currently before the provincial government.

The Bill aims to add three demerits, and increases the fine for distracted driving from $172 to $250. Plus, habitual offenders could face licence suspensions.

Wade said she hopes the tougher legislation is passed – and her family continues to push for tougher punishments by gathering signatures on a petition.

“They don’t understand what it does to a person’s life, mine was pretty much taken away completely,” Wade said.

Bill 204 went into second reading Monday.

With files from Serena Mah