During his accident he was conscious the entire time. It was the beginning of a totally different life. Loren Schauers, however, exemplifies resilience in the face of adversity.
September 27, 2019 was an apparently normal day for a young man who never imagined, after that day, living with half his body.
He recently completed the third year living his new reality. One very different from the dreams of youth that prevail at that stage of life.
“It’s been a long and wild ride”, expressed in a video that makes a kind of balance of this journey. He doesn’t do it alone. He has his wife who supports him and has become his support since the terrible work accident that put him to the test in every way.
This is the story of loren schauerstold by media such as the British Daily Mail and replicated to the world, as a clear example of resilience and more.
The accident
Fifty meters down a bridge, a forklift driven by Loren rolled down a hill, crushing him from waist to foot. It’s too much weight to remember, but the 22-year-old told it all.
That day was his last as a worker at the construction company he worked for in Great Falls, Montana (USA). A part of the bridge on which the vehicle was moving collapsed, unleashing the tragedy.
There was negligence of third parties. Several motorists began to cross at a red light, backing him up so far that he got too close to a flimsy edge of the structure.
“When the edge of the bridge collapsed and the forklift started to tip over, I unbuckled my seat belt and went jumping. Now I know it was the wrong idea, but it was just fight or flight. The seat belt ended up wrapping around my leg when I jumped, so I actually swung around and broke one of my ribs on the floor of the forklift.”.
However, he could not stay on the cart all the time, the inertia made him fall and the heavy vehicle on top of him.
“I was conscious the whole time. My eyes were wide and I saw the forklift come down and land on my hips and right forearm. I remember looking to my right with the forklift on top of my body and there was a big old muscle from my arm lying on the ground next to me. It had just instantly exploded from the impact.”.
Air rescue equipment was needed to get him off the hill. He had his right arm shattered from the waist down, his clavicle and right shoulder broken, in addition to suffering a pulmonary embolism and a blockage in the pulmonary artery. He was placed on a breathing tube shortly after.
At this point in the accident, the forecasts were negative and nobody suspected that he was going to live with half his body.
Hemicorperectomy: only with half of your body
Loren Schauers, just 19 years old, andHe was on the verge of death and his family had to make drastic decisions, when the time came, in the midst of his enormous pain and loss.
At the hospital they raised the possibility of performing a hemicorperectomy, a surgical procedure that specialized sites such as Scielo describe as a translumbar amputation, performed when there are giant cell tumors in patients.
The young construction worker was far from that. In fact, the doctors believed, a month after the accident, that he would not live. They moved him to a hospital closer to Montana so his family could see him.
His now wife, Sabia Reiche, said goodbye to him on at least 6 occasions, thinking that it would be the last time she would see him breathing artificially.
Against all odds, and a month after falling 50 meters down a hill, Schauers was recovering at an accelerating rate. Predicting an obligatory stay in hospital, the young man spent 3 months until he was able to go home much sooner than expected.
“Three years, today, since we almost lost you forever. Love you. You are my best friend”Sabia told him recently in an Instagram post.
With half of his body: the new reality of Loren Schauers
The photographs of Loren Schauers, with half of her body, are shocking and, at the same time, are a lesson in resilience for humanity.
Everything changed for this young man and his plans took a 180 degree turn.
For example, his physiological needs must be done through a bag that is attached to his stomach.
These are changes that could bring down the spirits of any human being facing a similar situation. However, Loren remains upbeat, smiling, and on his own each day he spends in his new reality. His rehabilitation process describes his will to live.
“I will never get over Loren’s calm and positive attitude. He is so calm with everything”said his wife Sabia Reiche.
However, to say that it was easy does not define this young couple. The moments of greatest difficulty also have to deal with what the world thinks about other people’s situations and after a tragedy of such magnitude.
“Everyone wants to see the world from Loren’s perspective, but no one wants to be in Loren’s position.”assured his wife.
“It’s been a long and wild ride”
Loren and Sabia commemorated the third anniversary of the young ex-construction worker’s accident with a YouTube video, edited with the most significant moments of Schauers’ recovery.
In the edition, the young woman is seen helping to dress her husband, to get into the wheelchair and to accompany him in the most crucial moments of his rehabilitation.
Loren Schauers today has a prosthesis that replaces her right arm.
“It’s a prosthetic arm, of course, but it gives you full function in each individual finger. Then I’ll be able to move each finger by itself.”he recounted enthusiastically.
The balance that the young man makes, after what he has experienced, allows him to assess each movement of his prosthesis, the situations he faces and, in general, his new reality.
They recently moved into an apartment they own.
“It’s been a long and wild ride and we can’t wait to see where else he thinks life will take us and look forward to continuing to take them with us.”.
#live #miracle #story #young #man #left #body