Teen Opens Eldersburg Boutique to Give Back to Those Who Saved Her Life

Four years ago this month, Brittany Ivie’s future was uncertain. She was 14 and fighting for her life after a truck-car crash on Route 32 near the Chili’s restaurant in Eldersburg.

Ivie was riding with two friends in a car driven by an acquaintance when they were "t-boned" by a truck driver on the way to grab a late night snack at Denny's. 

"My best friend at the time, Nickie was in the back seat with me. I was behind the passenger seat, and in the passenger seat was my friend David," Ivie said. "He had major injuries like mine because we were on the impact side."

The lights were flashing in both directions on Route 32. At the time, Ivie didn't know this would be one of the last things she would see before blacking out.

"I have a very spotted memory of what happened two minutes prior and what happened for the next eight days after," Ivie said. 

"I had bleeding on the brain and broke my jaw in two places. I also had several rib fractures, seven breaks in my pelvis, lacerations on my kidney, liver and spleen, and had to have plastic surgery on my eye." 

She spent two weeks at Mount Washington Rehab.

"I always wanted a way to thank the Sykesville Fire Department because they saved my life," Ivie said. "I was the first one flown off of the scene and without them I probably wouldn’t have survived."

But she did, and the 18-year-old is making her dreams come true. The graduate and freshman business major at Towson University is opening her own business in Eldersburg with the help of her mother and grandmother.

The boutique named "Royal Bliss" is opening its doors on Feb. 25 in the and will offer new dresses, clothing and accessories, specializing in formal wear for the high school prom season.

In addition, a portion of all prom dress sales will be donated to the .

"My mom, my grandma and I decided to open the store because it’s something that we’ve always wanted to do," Ivie said. "We realized it’s a now-or-never thing and so we decided to go ahead and jump into it."

Royal Bliss is holding its grand opening celebration from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 25, including a prom dress giveaway drawing. Find more information about the boutique through the store's website here.