FEATURE beyondthespotlight By Megan Alexander ONE TOUGH MOTHER: (Above) Crowned Mrs. Idaho 2009, the Boise-born beauty and mother of three seemed to have the perfect life—but Jamie Hilton’s charmed life took a devastating turn with a horrific head injury. (Above Right) Jamie Hilton (L) shares her miraculous story with Megan Alexander. Believe in Miracles Inside Edition’s Megan Alexander interviewed Jamie Hilton, the incredible Mrs. Idaho who survived a horrific accident 94 PAGEANTRY amie Hilton is not your typical pageant girl. She had never entered any pageants until a friend encouraged her to enter the Mrs. Idaho pageant, and she decided to give it a try. And when she signed up, she actually jumped in just two weeks before the pageant date. But as she competed, the judges quickly saw what her family and friends already knew—this 36-year old mother of three was beau- tiful both inside and out—and she was crowned Mrs. Idaho 2009. Once crowned, she immediately joined in on the festivities that come along with the acclaimed pageant, and enjoyed a fun-filled year of community events, fundraisers and friendship with other Mrs. Queens. The Boise-born beauty seemed to have the perfect life—her adoring husband Nick, three healthy and happy children, and a successful family business. But fast forward to this past summer, and Jamie’s life took a devastating turn. Last June, while on a fishing trip with her husband in Idaho, Jamie slipped while casting her line and fell 12 feet, slamming her head into a boulder. Her husband Nick feared for the worst. As he rushed to her side, he found her not breathing, and no pulse. It took three hours to get Jamie to the hospital. The doctors gave Nick the very grim news, and Jamie’s chances of survival were 50/50. Then, they did something extraordinary. One quarter of Jamie’s skull was removed to relieve pressure on her swelling brain. And what did they do with that piece of her skull? Incredibly, that piece was implanted in her abdomen. The reason? Doctors wanted to keep it safe, sterile and nourished by her own body. I asked Jamie what her reaction was when she woke up in the hospital and heard the news. She said she was shocked to learn J