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He Got Chopped in Half by a Forklift & His Girlfriend Still Married HimAñadido:
Welcome back to the channel. I'm Dan Becker and on this podcast I sit down with survivors of all kinds to hear their stories directly from them. Today we're talking to Lauren and Sabia. After a horrific forklift accident left Lauren literally cut in half, both of their lives obviously changed forever. And today they're here to share their story.
So you where did this happen?
>> So the accident happened in right outside of Wilsaw, Montana. Um pretty much a blink of an eye town. Um population like less than 250.
>> Um yeah, right outside Willsaw, Montana where right on the bridge leading into Montana. Um >> what were you doing?
>> Uh what we were doing was a bridge rehabilitation job. So we were breaking down the bridge and rebuilding it. um basically just repairing rebuilding the whole bridge and putting down fresh new lanes across the bridge so that there's no potholes and stuff like that.
>> So then what were you were you were on the forklift?
>> Um so the the day So I was on the job as a laborer through the labor union. It was my first construction job.
>> Oh wow. I wasn't certified or have any training or anything whatsoever.
I So June 6th, I turned 18.
>> June 6th, that the very same date, I went to the labor hall, >> filled out the paperwork or labor union, filled out the paperwork, did the test, and then the 7th I came back in for some second interview, whatever. And then the eighth is when her uncle who worked for the company that I ended up being employed through uh ended up contacting the labor union and got me hired on to the job.
>> Yeah. And then messaged him and I was like, "You got any jobs?"
>> Yeah. So 2 days after my 18th birthday, I was signed on with the labor union or Yeah. with the labor union and then I was given a mile marker. I was told head to this mile marker at this time and be there at by this time and that's all I was given. And >> what >> is how it tends to go?
>> And so on the 8th of June I was given I'll just come to the smile marker at this time and be there at D and uh be ready to do this.
>> Did this happen on your first day on the job?
>> No. No. And then so and so I traveled down to the mile marker and ended up uh putting this truck camper trailer that I was staying in on the job site. And uh when I went I so I went down to the mile marker and that's when I ended up finding the job site and then learned who I was employed by and then that was basically my first week >> and then 3 months went down the line and then huh >> I was going to say I believe the question was what did you do at the job site?
>> Sorry, my bad. Um, and then so yeah, at the job site, what I was was basically just a hands-on grunt labor worker cuz I was still just fresh out the gate, 18 years old. No certifications, no training, no nothing. So, I was just a hands-on grunt worker, laborer. So, I would mostly just be picking up rocks or chipping cement or just hands-on labor work, >> stuff that doesn't require certifications or training for. If you spend any time in the back country, you know how quickly things can change. And that's exactly why I use the navigation app Onyx Backount. Onyx Backount is built on one simple idea, better maps.
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>> Wow. Okay. Tell me about that day. What what what was the day? You're up you're on your way to work.
>> So So the reason why I was even at work that day was the pre the day before. So we would we would work four out of seven days a week for 410 40 hours and then you could work 5 6 days if you wanted overtime. Well, I wasn't planning on working overtime that week, but the car that I was using broke down on me. And so my supervisor said, "Well, if you decide to work, if you work Friday overtime that day, then um come Friday after Friday, uh we'll take the trailer that's on the job site. We'll load the car up onto it and I'll take you you home with the with the car if you just work Friday." site was like 4 and 1/2 hours away from where we live.
>> So he was like there for 4 days a week staying.
>> Okay, I got you.
>> And that's why when the car broke down, it wasn't just like call a tow company and get it towed home cuz it's 4 and 1/2 hours away.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Yeah. And it was my mother's vehicle, too. So I needed to get it home cuz she needed it for her own use, whatever. Um, and so we ended up loading the car onto the trailer and do all that. Next day comes and it's pretty much like any other day except there was only three other workers that showed up cuz it was an overtime day. So there was only four workers plus a supervisor. And then actually a specialist came in who uh was an ex certified excavator driver, whatever. He came in with an excavator to help remove a big portion of the bridge cuz that morning we had swapped from the fresh lane that we had just laid to swapping the cones over to the other lane and starting to destroy the other lane. And so that whole entire day cars that were coming through kept hitting the cones in the water barriers.
I'm guessing cuz they assumed they knew where the cones were going to be guiding them, but since we had swapped lanes, the cones were all moved around.
>> Oh man.
>> And so that whole entire day, cones and water barriers kept getting knocked out of place by cars. And it was like 3 3:30 4:00. It was pretty close to the end of the day when my uh supervisor yells down, I mean, come up here and come up top. Come up here. I was down uh by the riverbed picking up rubble cuz there was no no one else at the job site. there wasn't really anything, no big jobs that you could do. So, all of us were just doing little little hands-on work that we could do here and there.
>> And um I don't I don't know what the problem was with the forklift driver, with the certified forklift driver that was there that day. I don't know why the supervisor made him get out of the forklift and had asked me to get in in place of him. I don't know what happened there, but supervisor ended up asking me to jump in the forklift and move a water barrier that had been knocked out of place back into place.
And as I'm going to hop in, he goes, "Are I I let him know that I wasn't certified." He goes, "Well, do you know what you're doing?" I go, "Well, I I know how to handle it, but he goes, "Well, just move the water barrier real quick and then that'll be it."
And so, >> and it was one of those like the blue like gray all forklift.
>> Oh, yeah. So, this forklift, >> little yellow warehouse ones.
>> This isn't this isn't a regular yellow warehouse forklift. This is like a describe what it is. I realized the other day that I got it. This is one of those like big blue tea handler forklifts that you can either have a bucket or the forks on or whatever that has the big old boom on it, the big old arm that so you can't see out the right side of the window at all cuz the boom is stretched and whatnot. Um it's like it's a it's a 10k machine forklift. I I don't really know.
>> I'm trying to picture it. We'll probably throw it up on screen. It's a Yeah, it's a blue tea handler and it's it's only called a forklift when you put the forks on it.
>> So, somebody on the job site had previously shown me the controls to this forklift and had uh watched over me as I tinkered around with it on the job site. That's how I knew the controls to it and that's what I was telling the supervisor. Okay.
>> And that's when he said, "Okay, we'll just move the water barrier real quick and then >> f off." pretty much after that. Um so anyways, uh at the job site there wasn't any um anyone controlling the traffic.
All we had were just automated traffic lights that were on timers. And I think it was like 5 minutes or something like that. They would just turn red, turn green, and go. Well, anyways, I was driving the forklift across the bridge and uh as I was driving the forklift across the bridge, I made it about halfway and I see this line of vehicles on the other end just start coming my way. Obviously, the light turned green and this line of vehicles is like going around the hillside because there's like 10 20 vehicles. It's so backed up. and uh this truck pulling a horse trailer. He's the one that's in the front of the line and he starts rolling forward and rolling forward more and more and more and he ends up going from, you know, his lane to where the cones are starting to push him into my only lane. And so at this point, he's just barely over the line, seeping into my lane, and I'm trying to get past his truck without scratching it and without damaging the company machinery.
And as I'm trying to squeeze through without scratching this rancher's truck and whatnot on my right, I can't see on my right side because the boom has my view completely obstructed, but I know that I'm close to the hillside. Well, that the water barrier was knocked out of place. That water barrier that was supposed to be right there, that's the one I'm supposed to be putting back in place.
>> Oh, wow. Well, my right tires, as soon as they hit that dirt that's not compact on the very edge of the road, I just instantly tipped and like went into a tip like went into a slow tilt down a 50ft hill.
>> Oh my gosh.
>> And that's when fight or flight kicked in pretty much. And it felt like it was like minutes, but it was maybe seconds of, you know, and uh I tried to hit the tilt to tilt out of it, see if I could get the weight to come back and, you know, catch the whole machine and myself, but it wasn't tilting. It was too far gone. It was slow slowly tilting over and tipping down this 50ft hill.
And so I went, as it was at an angle like this, I'd say upwards, um, I went to go Superman dive out of the cab.
>> Oh my gosh.
>> I unbuckled my seat belt and went to Superman dive out of the cab, which I blinked in midair expecting to hit the road and be all good. But I blink and I open my eyes and I'm halfway down this 50ft hill and I'm seeing this forklift roll down towards me. Like I don't know if the seat belt wrapped around my leg and flung me over the cab or I don't know exactly how I was flung over the top of the fork.
>> 20,000 lb.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. And but somehow I end up being flung over the top of the cab and I cleared the forklift to where I end up flying down the 50ft hill, landed on the all the dirt that we had from the job site which then broke my collar bone, my scapula, my sternum.
>> You had a broken rib >> and a broken rib. So now my whole like right rib cage and my right side and everything in my body is raised compared to my left cuz how I I landed on my right side. And I also got a very small brain bleed. But that was only it for brain damage was just a very small brain bleed from hitting >> the bottom of that 50ft hill.
>> But I hit the dirt pile and I open my eyes and I see this forklift rolling down towards me.
>> Oh my gosh. And I watch it roll the last one and 1/2 times. It rolled two and 1/2 total, I was told. I watched it roll the last one and a half and then I blink and I open my eyes and my forearm muscle was got blown out from underneath the forklift when it landed and it was literally in the dirt right next to my head like spitting distance away. Like I could see every bead of dust and dirt on it.
>> And I've never been hunting in my entire life or skinned a deer or anything. So, like, and I knew I was looking at my forearm muscle. And so, like, it it made me throw up because it was so surreal and >> whatnot. But this entire time I I'm I'm freaking out, of course. I'm I'm losing my mind. I'm freaking the out telling, "Get this forklift." Sorry, excuse me.
I'm freaking out saying, "Get this forklift off me. Please get it off me.
D, do that." But there's only so much that they could do in this in this situation. But uh what I guess what I was getting at though is I was in no pain whatsoever because of all the adrenaline shot going through my body.
>> And so I ended up being pinned underneath that forklift for like 30 minutes total because where we were in Walsaw, Montana, outside Walsaw, Montana, there was no phone service whatsoever. So, somebody had to literally take off from the accident, go to the top >> in a car to go get cell service >> and get to the top of the hill to call emergency services. Oh my gosh.
>> And um the first emergency services that were there were the volunteer fire department from Wilsaw >> and Wil 250 people. And so they were like, uh, we don't know how to out. They were pretty much just there as moral support cuz they didn't know what to do.
>> Yeah. But um my supervisor, he when the accident first happened, he immediately was, you know, on on top of it cuz a kid had just gotten hurt on his job site. He immediately got across the bridge, got the excavator, brought it all the way across the bridge and brought it down the hill safely and then got the forklift all uh tied up to the excavator and was going to take it off me. But a dude who was in the line of vehicles, he saw the accident happen and he hopped out of his vehicle and ran down the hill.
>> A random guy. Wasn't the horse trailer guy.
>> No, this was a random guy that was in the line of vehicles behind the horse trailer guy. Horse trailer guy actually called emergency services.
>> Yeah, he took off to get service and was he was the first caller.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah. But um the dude who ended up jumping out of his vehicle and sat by my head during the accident, he was a veterinarian.
>> Oh wow.
>> And so the whole entire time that I'm freaking out, whatnot, he's making sure that I'm conscious. He's making he's getting my details. He's making sure that I don't pass out, make sure that he doesn't lose me basically and trying to keep me as calm as he can and whatnot, which I contacted him after the accident to thank him for >> cuz I mean he helped >> kept you grounded. He kept me grounded through that. Yeah. And helped immensely. But uh and I wouldn't be alive too if it wasn't for his uh knowledge because my supervisor was going to take the forklift off me within the first 5 minutes. But the veterinarian said, "No, don't take it off him. For all we know, that's what's keeping him alive." And then so they kept I was pinned under it for 30 40 minutes, something like that. waited and waited till Mercy Flight got there which they then landed on the bridge which my buddy Manny uh took care of all the cones and whatnot like literally took every cone off the bridge himself.
>> What What was caught in the rudders?
>> When the forklift is what is what part of the forklift is pinning you down?
>> The boom. Um, so the it's so that boom to the forklift is right across my waist pinning the bottom of my stomach to where I could like it's even hard. I'm struggling to even breathe and it's got my arm pinned too.
>> Wow.
>> But yeah, and so I'm pinned 30 40 minutes and I'm conscious the entire time. Mercy flight lands on the bridge.
Bunch of glass and dust and dirt goes in my eyeballs and they think it's funny how I complain about that every time.
>> I was just thinking like >> pinned on this forearms blown out neck.
How's my hair dust the dust in my eyes is the >> Well, they blew bunch of glass got blown my face.
>> I know. I know, baby.
>> But uh No. So, uh anyways, Mercy Flight gets there. They get their gurnie and they get come down the hill and they they they kind of struggled to get down the hill with this gurnie because it's a straight decline of a hill and they kind of struggled to get me up too. But they ended up getting uh so once they got there then they loaded the excavator up with the forklift and they one two three lifted it up and pulled me out and instantly covered my legs with a blanket so I couldn't see them. But I did I I saw I saw flatness and blood and bones sticking out of my car hurt pants and >> Oh man.
>> So like I I saw it even though they tried to get >> Were your legs complet is the boom big enough to cover like your like kind of smashed your legs down? Is that what it was or?
>> So the boom has my waist covered and then the rest is smashed by the cab.
>> Oh wow.
>> Of the forklift >> pretty much.
>> So it was still attached essentially.
>> Yes. So at that time he was still fully connected. He was just smushed.
>> Yeah. And um >> and I was conscious >> all the way the mercy flight and I remember them us landing on the helipad and it was like straight out of a movie honestly like how they depict it in movies. There was like two doctors holding the door and three nurses holding the doors to the helipad wide open. But as soon as you got in the hallway, it was all white, light, light, light like the in the movies into an all-white room. And then uh there was like 10 doctors 10 and there was like 20 people running around like their heads were cut off >> and um >> and then >> and then uh >> I put you under. That's when they transferred me from the gurnie to the emergency room table. And then they started to cut my car heart jacket and my pants off of me and I went to go look at my legs and the one of the nurses then put my head down and put a strap over it and was like, "We don't want you to move. You might have spine damage or you might we don't want you to hurt yourself even more pretty much." And then she put a mask over my face and that's when I was put into a drug induced coma. And then >> from then on is where story goes.
>> He wasn't very present.
>> So you're just having a normal day up until this point. Yeah. Right.
>> So at this point like so he'd be gone for 4 days, you know. He normally left late.
>> Wait, hold on. You guys were dating.
>> Yeah, we we were living together and we were dating.
>> We had just We had been together for >> You weren't married, right? Your boyfriend, girlfriend. Yeah, >> we had been together for about a year and a half. We had been living together for about a year. We moved in together very quickly. But yeah, so I like we got pretty used to he'd like leave Sunday night or early Monday morning, drive to the job site, and then I'd see him either Thursday night or Friday morning depending, and then we'd get the weekend together.
>> I was staying in a truck camp cuz I had no heat or electricity. I was roughing it.
>> Yeah. And so on Thursday, I remember he called me and he was like, "My mom's car broke down, blah blah blah. Like, can you take work off tomorrow and come pick me up?" and I was working at a credit union at the time and they were like training me up to start working towards becoming a loan officer and I was like no like I don't want to miss work blah blah and we actually ended up getting into a little like argument about it and then um and then that's when your boss was like oh I can you know and so I was at work when it happened and I was I was running the credit union that we have on our Air Force base and since it's so small I was just by myself because small. Um, >> let me preface this with the whole entire time at Mercy Flight and people are asking me for information and stuff.
The only number I'm repeating is her phone number.
>> Wow. Okay.
>> And so I'm like literally closing like closing the bank. Like I had just closed the vault, put all the numbers in and I'm like walking out to lock the door behind me when I get a phone call from Boseman. Yeah. And so I was like, "What?" you know, and I answered it and it was a nurse and she was like, "Hi, like is this Sabia? Like, um, you're the number we got from Lauren." And I was like, "What's going on?" And they told me that he had been in a workplace accident and that he was in surgery. And that's all they could tell me because I was just his girlfriend. So, like, I wasn't next of Kim. They couldn't give me all the details. And so, they're like, "We need you to get a hold of his mother who's next of kin and have her call us so we can give her the actual details." So all I knew was he was in an accident and he's in surgery.
>> Like nothing else. No details. How's he doing?
>> Nothing they could give me. They said he's stable and in surgery or I don't even think they told me he was stable cuz I don't think he was. But they just said he's in surgery and he was in an accident. And so I immediately hang up and I call his mom. I give her the number for the hospital and I'm like I don't know what happened, you know, like let me know when you know. And my uh friend was coming in from Missoula, which is like 3 hours away, to stay the weekend with us. Um, and so I remember I got in my car, I called my dad. He was the first one I called. And I was like, Lauren got in an accident. Like, I'm waiting to hear more about this, you know, like, and I'm just kind of like, cuz I'm a catastrophizer, you know, so my brain's hitting me with worst case scenarios, you know, >> and dad's like, you don't know anything.
You won't know till Santana calls you back. like just you know and so then I head to the apartment.
>> Santana is my mom's.
>> Yeah, sorry. Okay.
>> Um I head to our apartment and my friend is like arriving at the same time as me like uh and I'm kind of like starting to extra panic and so she's like let's go out to your parents you know like while we wait cuz there's nothing we can do right now like let's drive out to your parents. And so she ended up driving me out to my parents for me and they lived about 30 minutes away from us. And on the way out to my parents, I got a call from his mom um cuz she had gotten a hold of the hospital and we found out like he was in a rollover in some equipment and at the time he was in surgery and they had to amputate his arm. And at that moment they were dealing with internal bleeding in his pelvic area. And uh like at that time I believe there was like a single like knee amputation or something or like they were saying that they might may need to amputate the legs something in that area. And so we're like holy crap. Like okay. And so like his mom's like I'll call you. You know every update I get I'll let you know. And I was like okay. So, we go out to my parents and um and dad and I are just kind of sitting there for the next like two three hours just kind of like running through the motions, trying to rationalize everything, trying to like based on the information we know, like kind of getting a picture of like what what life was going to look like, what the possibilities are, you know, like uh cuz obviously like they were kind of like uh subtle with it, but it was obvious that you know like cuz at this point he's been in surgery for like a couple hours already and then around 9 we got a call from them that he was being mercy flighted to Seattle uh and that I believe at that time there was like some they couldn't like stop the internal bleeding or something in his pelvis and and the the surgeons and doctors at Boseman were just like that like we he needs to go to like a top trauma hospital. Like, we aren't equipped for this. And he got mercy flighted to Harborview in Seattle. And then his mom and I got plane tickets for the next flight out, which was like 5:00 a.m. the next morning.
And so then we went, me and my friend, we went home. My cousin met us there at my at me and Lauren's apartment. Uh, and they were like, "Get some sleep. You have an early flight tomorrow." You know, and so then we all get to sleep.
And around 4:00 a.m. I woke up to a phone call from his sister, actually his older sister, cuz his mom was like too distraught to make the phone call. Like she called his sister and during that time, like she was threw up and had to like >> get off the call because the update was his kidneys were failing. They didn't know if he was going to make it till morning when we got there. They had to amp a amputate his left leg to like the mid thigh and his right leg all the way to the hip. Um and yeah, his kidneys were failing. Um there was in the internal bleeding in his pelvis like was causing all sorts of issues and like yeah pretty much they were like you know his lung had collapsed like you know and so yeah they're like this is the reality like we we don't know if he'll make it till morning stuff like that. Um and yeah and then around that time when I got that call was around the time to start getting ready to go to the airport. So his mom and I got to the airport and then loaded up, flew to Seattle. It was like an hour and a half flight and my cousin who lives in Seattle picked us up from the airport, brought us straight to Harborview and we walked into the room and he was still alive thankfully. Uh but my brain and all of my like shock and trauma I I was for like.3 seconds I was like this is the wrong room cuz he was just taking up half a bed. I was like, "No, this little kid's room. Like, we're in the wrong room." And then it my brain caught up and I was like, "Nope, this is Lauren's room." And yeah, and that's uh like when we physically saw the severity of it and like he was hooked up to all sorts of tubes and um and then the timeline for my brain gets a little I don't remember what the timeline here is, but at some point within while we're here, uh the doctors bring us back. Uh his grandma and his sister, his mom and I are all the ones there at the moment.
doctors bring us back to let us know kind of like at this time they're like he's dying like his skin is like dying like we amputated it but it's still like it's not getting the correct blood flow like his kidneys are like uh not really working for us like he was on an intubator and they had him in like a a drug coma pretty much like he was out um and they were like you this is where we're at. They're like, but they they they did tell us they're like, we're not going to stop fighting to try and find a solution here, but this is where we're sitting right now.
And then the next day we were brought in again because uh cuz it's a teaching hospital. One of I believe it was one of the medical students that was like on rotation had discovered the single case study from like the '9s on hemicerectomy uh surgery which is the what Laurens surgery is the removal of the second half of the body. Um, and there was a single case study done in like 1996 or something and there were like 12 reported successful cases >> and it was like a military veteran that or something.
>> Yeah. And so like it it was this very like obscure surgery >> and this I believe it was a medical student who brought it to like the the Laurens team. Th this surgery does happen more frequently when it's infection induced. Like there's case studies of it of hemi corporctomy surgery happening to other people but all those were infection induced.
There's only one other case where it was trauma induced and like my case >> only one >> other surgery. There's only one case study.
>> Yeah. Yeah. That's what I mean.
study, >> but there's a bunch of other people out there that have had the hemicerectomy surgery that have had it due to bone infections and what not because of forklift, >> not because of the trauma, >> right?
>> Yeah. And so the trauma aspect is what was so >> Yeah. Cuz there was no like buildup when you go at it from the like bone infection whatever like you're building up to this surgery, you know, for this it was but it was still very obscure, right? Nobody really knew it and med student brought it to the attention. So the doctors were like as it stands this is the only way to save him you know and and they told his mom like as an next of kin like it's kind of you know your choice on we can do like palative comfort care on >> kind of like hospice you know um or we can try this surgery and they let us know like it's a very risky surgery it's very long surgery there's no guarantee he'll make it off the table. Oh, what's the time frame?
>> Um, >> this is within 48 hours.
>> Wow.
>> Yeah, this is like >> So, you're obviously still in a coma.
>> Yeah, he's still Yeah, this was like the morning after his mom and I flew in.
>> Yeah, they they end up doing the hem corportomy surgery within 48 hours of the accident happening.
>> It was within like 72.
>> Okay. Well, 48 within the first week of being >> in a very short amount of time this is taking place. Yeah. Yeah. And so >> everything's happening like that.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Cuz this is the morning after we flew in and they tell us about the hemi corperectomy. And his mom was having a hard time with the decision, you know, like on one hand it's sign DNR, let my son die, and on the other hand it's go through with this surgery that he may or may not survive and also make the choice for him of like, oh, no more genitalia, stuff like that. And so she was having a hard time with that decision.
>> She hates me for this decision.
>> Exactly. What if he hates me for choosing to make him live? But also, can I live with myself on not trying this surgery? And so Lauren's sister ended up asking the doctor. She was like, "Can like, is it plausible for us to wake Lauren up? Like can you bring him down on some of the drugs and like can you get him to a coherent enough space where like he can >> make his own decision rationally?" Um, and they're like, "Yes." And so then his mom just had to sign off in agreement to letting him um, which I think was the most like ethical way to go about it is letting the person who's going through it make the decision. And so then that whole day started the process of like bringing him off the drugs slowly >> and all of this, you know, >> and then he was finally at a point where he was like coherent and conscious enough for >> which one of the very first things. So I was I had an intubator in my mouth so I couldn't speak but when they brought me started bringing me to consciousness one of the very first things that I wrote to her was am I going to be in a wheelchair?
>> Yeah. So he already like he remembered.
>> So were you like in your coma? Do you remember dreaming? I mean was there anything going on?
>> It wasn't like an official coma. They just had him on so many drugs that he was just asleep. He would have >> Yeah. He would have like he'd open his eyes and kind of look at us here and there, but like he wasn't really present. Like it wasn't like a >> There was moments where I thought there was snow falling in my room.
>> Okay. Like >> Yeah. Yeah. He was just in the >> ch Yeah. But at yeah, up to this point, he's just on so many drugs that he's not really awake. And then they brought him out. Um, and yeah, they explained the severity of the surgery to him, the severity of like where he's at now and kind of like how it's like we can either get you really comfy. Um cuz like also his so his skin his what was still remaining of his limbs like you could smell it dying off like I don't know if you've ever smelt like necrosis or anything but it's a very distinct smell and you could smell like pretty much like the death of his body. Um, and they were like, "It's either get you really comfy and kind of let these infections take over and you go or this surgery, you know, and and they didn't hold back on the severity of the surgery, you know, like there's no guarantee you'll make it off the table and you will be losing everything below your belly button. Like we don't know if you'll ever be able to sit up again because you have no you'll have no pelvic bones to support your your weight or any of your internal organs. Are you in the room when they're telling him this?
>> Yes. Yeah. And and um and you know like uh you you might be bed bound for the rest of your life cuz also at this time none of us since we had all just learned about the hemi corperectomy none of us knew about any prosthetic possibilities for that or anything. And Lauren literally he was like I don't care if I'm ahead on a plate like I want you to save me or at least try.
So they they bring you out of this induced coma and there's I mean >> they're just dumping on you like this whole >> 50 people there too because there's a teaching hospital. So they had like the main doctor and like two main surgeons and then like 30 students behind them during all of this.
>> Well, what is what are you thinking like what's going through your mind? So, what's going through my So, I when I was under the forklift, I knew that life was going to be different from here on out.
I knew that my limbs are gone, that I was going to I knew for sure I was missing my arm. I wasn't sure if I was going to end up in a wheelchair or not with the with the loss of my legs, but I knew my legs were going to be beyond repair. And so, that's why when one of the first things I asked her was, "Am I going to be in a wheelchair?" Because I I needed that confirmation, I guess.
somebody to confirm that yeah, what happened is really what happened and this is really happening and stuff. But what was going through my mind was how I had all these dreams and ambitions to, you know, move forward and do all these different things, but and I wasn't just going to give up and just because I lost my legs and lost my arm.
And so like in my head, I didn't care if I was like uh like Nixon from Futurama with the head in the jar. That's exactly what I was thinking of when I told him, "I don't care my head on a plate. Do what you need to do cuz >> Mhm.
>> Wow."
>> I mean, >> yeah. It's I don't I I just knew life was going to be different and that all my goals and dreams were going to have to change, but I was ready to do it because uh I don't know about you, but I don't know what's on the other side that's scares the out of me.
I don't know if there's a heaven. I don't know if there's a hell. I don't I don't know if when he die it just goes all black. I don't know what's on the other side. So, I was going to do absolutely anything and everything I could to stay on this side of the fence kind of deal.
Yeah, especially cuz in my drug induced coma, uh, in the Khole that I was in, >> I had quite a few scary, crazy trips that happened that made me afraid to die >> naturally.
>> Um, but no, I Yeah, I don't know. just that.
>> Well, I I think there's a heaven and I think God's got a plan for you. I'm just going to throw that out there.
>> But anyway, >> but so you're so these nurses and doctors are all telling you what's going to happen. You make the decision.
>> Yeah. And then from there it was just they uh >> at that at that in the same breath that they're explaining the hemi corporctomy surgery they're also asking if there's if they can find any viable sperm. Do I want to >> keep it safe or >> u cryog freeze it whatever.
>> Yeah.
>> And so I had to sign a bunch of paperwork saying that they could freeze it and store it.
>> Well the paperwork was >> Wow. The paperwork was also you signing ownership. So >> yeah, >> also with it because of the trauma and the rush put on it, uh there they wouldn't be able to essentially test it to make sure it's STI free this and uh all of that pretty much. And so he had to like pretty much choose ownership for it. if he died, like if I die and this sperm is saved, only one person can have it pretty much because and that person also had to sign and agree that they understand there was no testing done. There's no guarantee that it's like healthy, safe, whatever.
Um, and that's what all that paperwork was with. But they didn't end up It was there was none salvageable, but >> too much metal, dirt, >> and whatever mix.
>> Yeah. Uh but yeah, after that it moved pretty quickly. Um they all got ready for the surgery, got him ready for the surgery. We found out later that there was a surgeon who had actually performed a hemi corperectomy like 15 years prior was in Seattle at that time for like a conference or something and he got wind of it and he actually ended up coming to Harborview and like I don't know if he was involved involved in the surgery or if he came as like a consult but we did later find out that like he was involved olved at some in some way with Lauren surgery because he had actually performed one x amount of years ago. And yeah, so and when his surgery came um it was like 8 hours I believe he was in surgery and then after that they had to leave him open. So, the way that he the way that he was cut basically and the way his skin was dying, uh, they pretty much couldn't afford to have to cut anymore away. And so, they had to make sure that all of the skin and everything was getting the correct blood flow before they closed him up. Otherwise, like if they closed him up and then that skin started dying. Wow. Yeah. Pretty much then there is no solution. So I don't know if it was 12 hours or 24 hours or 6 hours. I don't remember.
Again, it was all very >> But my organs were literally in bags on the bed and I was confused.
>> I I don't think they were like in bags on the bed. I think they were bagged and you had like a a dressing of sorts, but you were open. Yeah. He wasn't sewn.
>> Well, you must have been in like some super clean room or something.
>> Yeah, he was like in the super ICU of like a top tier trauma hospital. Like nobody could come in without gloves, gown.
>> Yeah. It even had like an air lock on it. Like >> Yes.
>> Like if you left it on it would start beeping cuz really Yeah. He was in like one of those like super um and then they had to leave him open for x amount of time. I seem to remember it wasn't very long. Uh but also that whole it's a blur for me. Um and then he went back into surgery for another like 6 hours for them to cuz it was all good, you know, and then they closed him up and then Yeah. And then they were going to go back in after I had healed up a bit and cauterized my damaged nerves, but I had so many complications after the surgery that they weren't able to go back in and cauterize those damaged nerves before I ended.
>> And then by the time all those complications were gone, no one was really willing to open him back up cuz the the risk far outweighs the reward type of situation. But yeah, and then after the surgery there were so it like went really great and then his lung they like took him off the intubator and stuff. Um uh and he ended up having a small uh like a tiny pulmonary embolism or something like that. I can't quite remember. But then at one point his left lung collapsed and they had to reintubate him and then they found out that he had an abdominal infection that was like >> from the surgery >> from the surgery and it was like leading towards his spine.
>> It was honey it was honeycombing around my abdomen.
>> It wasn't honeycombed at that point.
>> Slowly reaching towards my spine.
>> It honeycombed. No, the honeycomb was the one in his abdomen, but it didn't start honeycombing until we were in Great Falls after this decision was made. It was still just a massive infection that wasn't draining and was just getting worse. And that mixed with the lung stuff going on and he had like intubated induced pneumonia or something like that. And like so like the surgery was good but it was still like he's dying pretty much.
>> Yeah. Especially with the pulmonary embolism and blood clot in the lungs, >> lungs clapped, blood clot in the lungs, intubator induced pneumonia, uh abdominal infection, and I think >> there was something else.
>> There was one other >> There were all these complications going.
>> My kidneys were fa weren't >> they weren't failing, but your one of your kidneys was struggling or something. But yeah, we pretty much got told like >> he's he's dying left and right or there's things going wrong left and right. He might die. What do you guys want to do? And that's when it was pretty much brought to my attention of, hey, you're dying. We've done pretty much all we can do.
>> Uh do you want to go DNR or do you want to >> The options were pretty much stay in this hospital, try to fight the infection with the risk of dying. Um or go DNR into hospice care.
>> How long were you at the hospital at this point?
>> Like a week.
>> See, but weeks.
>> But coming out of my >> How long were we?
>> Say two weeks cuz I was there weeks.
>> A week.
>> Okay. So, we were there for about 2 weeks >> and the doctor comes up and says, "You're having complication after complication. We don't know if you're going to survive.
>> Options.
>> Here are the options." And I'm coming out of another drug induced coma.
>> No. No. You were not in another drug induced coma. You were just on a lot of drugs.
>> Okay. I was just on a lot of drugs. And so to me, the way I it the way it came to me in my mind and whatnot, and it's not how it went, but this is how I this is what I was thinking in the moment and why I made the decision I made and whatnot. Is the way it was proposed to me was, "Hey, you're dying. would since you're dying, what's your death wish? And that's when I told them, well, if I'm dying, I want to die in my 68 Ford on the on the on the uh laying on the uh bench seat while listening to music with the engine on, smoking a joint. That's how I want to go out. And that's when they brought the DNR do not resuscitate orders up and had me sign the do not resuscitate orders.
And that's when I was transferred from Harborview then back to Great Falls, Montana to my hometown >> to the hospital to hospice.
>> And that's when we got to hospice, that's when I realized and learned what hospice was was end of life paliotative care. And at that moment, I was still on um uh >> feeding tube >> NG feeding tube.
>> Y >> because and my stomach wasn't working.
So they were feeding me through the tube. Well, in hospice, they don't do any paliative preventive care.
>> Preventive >> preventive care. And so >> they they're just end of life. We keep you comfy until it's your time. So they don't do anything to keep you alive.
Right.
>> Yeah. So due to me having an NG tube, my stomach not working.
>> What would have happened was they would have just fed methadone until I passed away from the infection or from my lungs collapsing or whatever. And as soon as I realized that, you know, I still do have a chance actually. And, you know, hospice is literally end of life stuff.
And I, you know, I I wasn't looking to die or pass away. I was looking to fight if I could. And once I realized what hospice was, I wanted out of there as soon as possible. And so, I pulled my do not resuscitate orders. And since I had my do not resuscitate orders pulled, they then had to kick me out of hospice essentially.
>> And then that's when I was moved from hospice to the hospital to the ICU >> in Great Falls to Benefits Health System.
>> And then that's where I like just bounced back.
>> I was just going to say that must have been like a total mental shift for you, right? Like >> Yeah. it I I feel like >> and it like it was explained like they didn't just ship him off to hospice without explaining it. Um he I just think that his brain didn't grab the concept until we were there because he when >> I was on too many drugs when it was for sure >> from the outside perspective it looked like Lauren understood what was being explained to him by the doctors you know and all of this. Um and yeah then by the time we got there he was like what do you mean I can't have a feeding tube?
And I was like, >> "What do you mean?" You know, and obviously I was uh super happy that he pulled that cuz that was Yeah.
Get into the fighting zone. But then at Benefit is where we start found out that the abdominal infection had started honeycombing. And when it honeycombs, it makes it really hard for them to drain it.
>> I had because I had two different drains in my abdomen. Yeah. Infection.
>> Yeah. And that one was honeycombing towards his spine. Um and so then we were in benefits for about a month uh with them dealing with this infection and and but as pretty much as soon as we were home though like there was noticeable change in Lauren like his his >> we were in benefit.
>> Yeah. That's what I meant.
>> Yeah. Sorry.
>> Uh like his wounds were healing up way like starting to heal up quicker. Like he was more active. He was more aware.
Um, and it was just really that infection that we were dealing with.
Like all the other things like his lungs were like they just perked right up and like he had to do like some breathing treatments, you know, like the the plastic thing with the like the ball in it or whatever, but like within like a week like his lungs were back to like, oh, we're working great and his kidneys were doing better like and it was just that infection. Um, and then over that month they ended up getting to a point where they were able to swirl it pretty much to get rid of the honeycomb.
>> Stuck a wire in me.
>> Yeah.
>> Just cut open.
>> Okay. All right.
>> Yeah. I mean, I don't know exactly what happened, but they broke >> they got it out.
>> Yeah. They broke the inner walls of the honeycomb. So, it was just one big abscess rather than like a maze, you know, and then that was through the singular drain. Um, and then Lauren was at like a stable enough point and healed up enough cuz just within that month of being back home, like his his scarring had already started like kind of >> I healed up enough to where they were able to pull all the stitches out.
>> Yeah. And that's and then that's when he was sent to Shirley Ryan in Chicago for rehabilitation for uh prosthetics and wound care. like kind of that's where they kind of help him adjust to his new like reality pretty much.
>> Yep.
>> So what is the new reality for you like?
>> Uh >> after the accident like initially >> new reality was pretty pretty difficult because I was pretty much fully dependent on somebody else for help.
>> Mhm. when I was not dependent on anyone for help before. And so really it it it was difficult to start to voice things and ask for things that I needed and need help with and stuff.
>> Oh wow. Yeah. Right. You you you felt like you were putting somebody out maybe or you wanted to do this yourself instead.
>> Independent.
>> Independent. Yeah.
>> Ask for help isn't really his specialty.
>> Yeah. So that is still something I I struggle with today. Um >> but >> how do you feel when people try to help you though? Do you feel >> I don't get put off by people trying to help me or anything like that. It it's just me learning how to voice and advocate for myself >> and not feeling like a burden. That was a big thing in the beginning was like every everything that I learned how to do for him and how to help him with like there were constant apologies for like like I'd have to help him transfer over onto this thing and he'd like apologize for like needing help and I'm like no like you don't apologize for existing you know and that was a big thing but but once we were in rehab honestly the transition was really nice they like started immediately on working on his phantom pain, his other pains like doing stretches. Every day was PT, OT, PT, um, working with prosttheticians. They taught me how to do his osttomy care, his wound care, how to help him with stretches. They like they showed us like some bath caught options. He got his first real shower since the accident while we were in rehab. And we were there before we got there. That's the picture you see of me doing like this.
>> And he's in like that purple. Yeah.
>> Yeah. That was his first real shower after the accident. Um and yeah, we just kind of they taught us like we practiced like vehicle transfers. We once his prosthetic, his trial original trial prosthetic was made. We practiced getting that on wheelchair transfers. Um they taught him exercises to do uh to kind of keep his body not only like in shape but these exercises that help with his pain. Um wheelchair practice, you know, they took us out around town uh to get used to being in a power chair. Like they just the whole nine yards and we were there for 2 months, >> which we should have stayed there longer.
>> Yeah. But we were ready to go home, >> I bet. So, as soon as we got the trial prosthetic and the infection was fully gone and he didn't need to be in a medical place anymore, we were like, can we go home and just like come back for the like we're ready to go home.
>> But yeah, no, the rehab moved very quickly and every day was learning something new or practicing something we've been practicing and it made the transition to home really easy. Like by the time we got home, we knew everything we need to do and we slipped into that new reality.
>> Yeah. I'd say with the with the test trial body prosthetic that I had initially coming out of rehab, life was pretty great. I was able to be pretty independent. Like I could get up by myself by at 6:00 in the morning. I could brush my teeth, do my hair, get ready, do all my empty my bags, all that. So like from a bed >> Yeah.
>> to the prosthetic.
>> So he could do it all himself.
>> Say, so right after rehab, we get home.
This is how daily life was for the first year until I got the finalized body prosthetic, which I'm in now. Um, so this is how mornings would go. I'd wake up at say like 6:00. I then get myself up in my body prosthetic. I'd then transfer myself from body prosthetic to wheelchair >> buff myself >> and then I would then take my uh nefrotomy bags that I had at the time, the two bags of my kidneys.
>> I'd then roll to the bathroom, empty those in the bathroom, flush a toilet, whatever. Then I'd roll up to the sink, I'd brush my teeth, I'd wet down my hair, I'd, you know, brush my beard hair, whatever. get ready for the day, wash my face, and then from then there I would then either, you know, go play my video games, I watch TV, or, you know, just start my day, whatever, >> whatever my day consisted of. But as soon as I got the finalized body prosthetic, it ripped away like 90% of my independence >> because >> So I don't know if you can see like how large it actually is compared to like his body that's >> Oh wow.
>> Like Okay.
>> So inside of here are all these air cushions. I don't know if you can see it from there.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. And so the entire prosthetic has those inside of them. And and the thing about the Rojo prosthetic is it is great for what it needs to do. It's phenomenal for his for his pain cuz the way he is cut, he has no supporting bones. And so his body prosthetic has to evenly distribute pressure all around his body so that all of his like organs and stuff aren't pushing down on the bottom. So the whole bit in case needs to be evenly distributed on pressure >> like an exoskeleton. And I'm only L4 up.
>> Yeah. So, I'm I can't put pressure on the bottom of my spine or else it'll break down.
>> Yeah. And so, the Rojo really is the best option in terms of longevity for all of this.
>> I feel like I've seen you in videos where you sit up without the prosthetic, right? You can do it from time to time, right?
>> Tummy and like kind of be up if he's in a really cushioned area, but he can't like sit sit, you know what I mean? And he's always at a light angle for that.
But yeah, so with the Rojo though, the the part that rips away the independence is not only the size of the new prosthetic to accommodate for all of those air pockets cuz it's in the front, in the back, on the bottom, right? Um, but also the weight due to the size.
It's very hard for Lauren to put himself in it like he could with the old bucket that had foam in it. Um, because the size and the weight of it is really hard. And then once he is in it, there's two different tubes, one connected to the sides and the back and one connected to the front.
They're these where you have to air them up. And so you have to use a manual pump >> to air these air pockets.
>> They even give an automatic pump. They give >> And so not only is the size and weight too much for him to get in it by himself, but then he can't even air it up himself. So now he if he wants to be out of bed or in his prosthetic, he has to rely on somebody else. And that took away a lot of the independence because with the trial one when it was just foam, it was light, it was small, he could do it all himself and he didn't have to rely on someone for that. Um, but we are in the process of getting another. It's kind of a mixture of a foam and an air pocket one that's smaller and uh he can get up by himself to kind of get that independence back.
Did they already I mean with just such a small sample of people that this has happened to did they have were these like already pre-esigned kind of thing?
>> Actually the like inventor of these prosthetics is the one who did his prosthetics.
>> Oh wow.
>> Um yeah and >> it was sent back and forth from Great Falls, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri and >> and also to Shirley Ryan at some point.
>> Oh yeah, I don't remember. But basically, uh, our people in Great Falls, Shirley Ryan, and then John the Bucket Dude, they were all collectively involved. So, it got sent all sorts of places. Um, and then the finalized and and and again, like the finalized prosthetic in terms of longevity and like safety and comfort for his body, it is a really good prosthetic. Like, it is really amazing.
He doesn't get sores. He can be up in it for like 16 hours sometimes and feel totally fine. Like >> I've set up for 26 before.
>> Yeah. Like in terms of >> 26.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> In terms of like actual comfort and goodness for his like bones and his skin, it's a great prosthetic, but in terms of independence, ripped it away.
And so now we're trying to find like an in between where it's like, okay, this still has a few key components that like will keep his body safe and like good and not have to worry about sores or his spine or anything like that. But can we do it in a way where he can do it himself and doesn't have to rely on someone else to just get out of bed?
Yeah, >> we already have a test in the process of it >> that we have already.
>> Mhm.
>> Almost.
>> Almost.
>> There's only one part.
>> Was that that black? I feel like I saw you put this black one, right?
>> Posting about it. Yeah.
>> Yeah. We just have a one an exterior adjustment to make for his tubing. And then uh the bottom of it is lined currently with memory foam, but they're going to replace it with an air air lining similar to rowing.
>> So impressive to see you do that.
>> To get in it, >> get in it by >> Oh my gosh.
>> Yeah. And that's what we're trying to get back because for the last four or five years since we've had this one, if he wants to get up, he's solely reliant on me to get him up. And if I'm not feeling good or if I'm asleep or you know like it's it's a big give or take and if if >> we have opposite sleep schedules.
>> Yeah.
>> Like awkward.
>> Like I'm going to bed when he's waking up for the day, you know.
>> Yeah. So So you Okay. You were living together.
>> Mhm.
>> But now you're married.
>> We are.
>> Okay. Take me through that whole process cuz I'm I mean that's a story. So, she actually she >> So, before the accident, Lauren had gotten me a promise ring and we had discussed like eventually we want to get married, but we're still young, so it's not really like a thing we're worried about at the time. And then when his accent happened, um I was thinking about like the promise ring and all of that. And so I got him like his own version of a promise ring kind of as like a a repromise of like, hey, this crazy thing happened, but this is me showing you that I still want to spend my life with you. I still eventually want to marry you, yada yada.
And so that it was it was a promise ring in return.
>> I was talking about how you asked about marriage.
>> That was within the conversation. It was me saying I still want to get married to You took it as a proposal because you weren't actually listening to >> He was just that He was that excited, >> man. He was being a man. He saw a ring.
He tuned the rest out.
>> Yeah.
>> And he went, "She proposed me. I gave him a promise ring, meaning I still want to marry you one day." It was just a repromise of >> all this crazy stuff happened and I still want to marry you.
>> Okay.
We've been having this debate ever since it happened because he remembers it completely different.
>> I can imagine he was a lot of duress.
>> I remember there was a time there was one time where she asked about us getting married and I told her not at this moment. Let's wait till we're home and not dealing with all this crazyit with rehab and all that. That's what I was bringing.
>> That was just pillow talk though. There was no ring involved with that. That was just are we still going to get married?
and he said, "I don't want to think about it right now." And then we got back to Great Falls and that's when I gave you the promise ring. And I said, "So, you know, I still want to eventually."
>> Okay. I don't know.
>> You're you're opening a can of worms here with this debate. This has been going on for years.
>> It's pointless.
>> But yeah, and then then but when the actual proposal came and stuff like that, it was >> late 2020 or like summer of 2020 roughly.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Cuz we got married February of 21 and we got married like 3 months after you proposed.
>> Yeah.
>> So yeah, it was late 2020.
>> Yep.
>> Yeah. And there it was it was a very on brand for us proposal.
>> Yeah. It was nothing special. Um it was she was a a god. Um, so we had a fish tank or we used to have fish.
>> A fish.
>> A fish. And we had this gigantic tank and Sabia was dealing with cleaning it or whatever.
>> Changing out like all of the water pretty much like doing a full reset.
>> Making a mess is what she was doing. No, I'm kidding. She was struggling to change the water in the tank out and she ended up getting covered in >> this dirty fish tank water and just she ended up freaking out, losing her mind over it.
>> And because she was freaking out, whatnot, I tried to like cheer her up by proposing to her as >> Oh, that'll do it. I'm just leaving out here is he went with his >> you tell all the stories cuz I tell them wrong I'm very >> you do you >> well tell it then >> I mean that's how it went but you left out like the most important bit where when all of it went wrong you weren't home you came home to me crying covered in fish water and then I was telling you the story of it when you just cuz he had bought the ring like that day he went to the mall with his brother under the guise of I'm just going to go window shopping with my brother and he bought the ring and then he was going to like do a whole big thing and then he got home to me like sitting in the living room covered in stinky fish water hysterically crying and I was telling him like what happened and then I turned around and he's just like sitting there with the ring so he was going to like actually like you know >> sorry about the fish tank will you marry me >> so that's why I feel like it's very on brand for us because there was a plan in place and then something came up and we're like no we're proposing right now because I know that'll make you feel better and it'll distract your brain and it did and then I and then Yeah. And then we got married just now you're and you were crying for joy at that moment.
Your tears immediately changed.
>> Yeah.
>> And then Yeah. And then we just went and got married at the courthouse like a couple months later.
>> At the courthouse. Well, we went and got the paperwork at the courthouse and then we went and got married at our parents' place.
>> Little small get together.
>> Wow.
>> Mhm.
>> Yeah.
>> I wore my mom's uh cuz my parents had like a cozy little courthouse wedding back when they got married. Uh and my mom had this like patchwork really pretty patchwork like summer dress kind of. Um and that was her wedding dress. And when we got married, um, cuz since it was just like at my parents and my mom was officiating it and it was just like a little gathering, uh, I was I just threw on like one of my summer dresses. And then when we got to my parents, I didn't like the dress I chose. And then my mom and I joked about me trying on her wedding dress like just to, you know, just for giggles, you know, and it ended up fitting perfectly.
And then I was like, "Okay, well, I'm getting married in your wedding dress then." And so, but yeah, it was a very it was a very the day was exactly as it needed to be.
We had the people there that we needed and wanted and yeah, >> it was nice and cozy. I I'm I'm not big with like big things anyway, so like it was perfect for us.
>> You guys are so impressive. I mean, you obviously love him. I do my best most days, >> but I mean >> Yeah. No, >> you you could have been somebody that was just like, I'm out.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> I don't want to deal with this.
>> Yeah.
>> You could have been just, you know, that's your life now. I'm going to go live.
>> Yeah. Exactly. I could.
>> But that didn't happen.
>> No. I I could not really picture moving forward in my life without him by my side pretty much. You know, it wasn't even really a thought. I was just like, "Okay, this is our life now. What's the next step?" You know, there wasn't ever that uh oh, do I go? Do I stay? Do I go?
Do I stay? It was just kind of like, okay. So, >> did you were you were ever worried about that?
>> Are you kidding?
>> Yeah, I was worried about it initially.
I mean, because, you know, she's staying with a dude that can't be the man of the house anymore, but she she's never wavered at all in her stance whatsoever. So I don't worry about it whatsoever anymore. But the first like year I did worry about it just because >> you're processing so much stuff.
>> Yeah. And there were a lot of >> I mean just emotionally >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. And and to be honest, I don't know if I would have stuck around if things were swapped around >> cuz it's a lot.
>> It is. Well, and that's just not everyone, you know, there are people out there who would stay and there are people out there who wouldn't stay. And and and I think what's important is that I stayed, but that doesn't mean that if I left, it would have been the wrong thing to do. You know what I mean? Like >> Yeah. Just >> like if I couldn't handle it and I left, nobody would hold that against me. You wouldn't hold that against me. You know, like staying or going, there is no right choice. It's whatever feels right for the person making the choice. Yeah.
>> And so if it happened to me and you left, I wouldn't have held that against you. And I don't hold it against you knowing that you might not have been able to stay cuz that's silly.
>> Yeah. But she honestly gave up a lot staying by my side.
>> Not really.
>> She gave up schooling. She gave up a career.
>> No, I can still do those things.
>> Mhm.
>> I just didn't want to.
And I get to sleep until 1 in the afternoon.
>> You get to sleep till 1:00. Is that what you said?
>> Hang out with my husband all day.
>> Yeah. You know, she So, what is >> I gave up a bunch for this, but I didn't.
>> I mean, >> what is nice is that she gets paid to be my 24-hour caregiver. So, essentially, we're She gets paid to just >> to love him.
>> To love her husband.
>> And you get to be on amazing podcasts.
>> Yeah.
>> Am I right?
>> Yeah.
>> We get to We get to drive all the way >> Yeah. Exactly.
>> over here.
This is an amazing opportunity, by the way. Thank you.
>> Yeah, absolutely.
>> He says with tears in his eyes.
>> I'm I >> I don't know why I'm tearing up so much.
I don't want to cry over my story.
>> Yeah. I mean, >> you you have such a a sweet spirit about you. like you just are like you really you just are you're you're a I don't know I I mean I I think your personality >> and your determination and I think that that also that uh that that fight within you >> to get out of hospice I mean that's all part of your survival >> and I'm so impressed with just how you've handled this. I can't I mean I can't imagine >> Yeah. We we tend to forget how like actually crazy it is. We're so desensitized to everything. A lot of times we'll like meet new people and they're like, "Oh my gosh, like this is crazy." And we're like, "Huh?" Yeah, it kind of is. Huh.
>> It actually >> cuz it's just like every day for us now.
We're so used to it.
>> It actually took me like a whole year or two, >> like three years. took him a while >> of her and her father both explaining to me just how crazy and insane of it is that the stars align like they did for me able to survive >> and and you could be sitting here complaining >> and you're not >> at all >> like you're not >> you're you're not whining and crying about the you know what you're dealing I mean you're >> incredibly strong who pushes me to get out of the house, you know what I mean?
I go, "Oh, I just want to stay in bed all day and not do anything." And he goes, "I want to go on a walk. Let's go on a walk. Let's go do this." You know, >> if I could just get one lap around town in the vehicle with my head out the window, I'd be happy.
>> But now you guys have >> It would be so easy for him to fall into that and just rot away, you know, but he he doesn't. And he doesn't let the people around him rot away either, you know. And you have now you your your main gig is the you the content, right?
The YouTube channel and stuff like that, right?
>> Yeah, YouTube channel. And I'm also uh I'm an I'm a pretty avid gamer. Like I'll play Call of Duty, uh Arc Raiders or pretty much everything and anything actually.
>> Large game library.
>> Yeah, I've got like 50 games downloaded at the moment. Um, but uh that's something I'm looking into start doing is streaming myself gaming and whatnot just to feel like I'm doing something productive rather than just gaming all day.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> But but yeah, the social media with the YouTube channel is >> that's your main little gig.
>> I mean >> Yeah.
>> Completely accidental.
>> Yeah, it was completely accidental. So how it >> No, no pun intended, right?
>> Yeah. And how the social media channel came about was we were still in rehab in Chicago and she took a video of me sitting up in my body prosthetic for the very first time.
>> Well, that night she posted on Tik Tok >> and this was >> for her cousin and her best friend to see because she only had two followers on Tik Tok.
>> And it was back when Tik Tok was still like like this was 2019 like it was like the music thing or whatever dancing and stuffing. There wasn't much going on on TikTok. So like, you know, like my brain just like no hashtags. I just like put it up and went to sleep.
>> Put it up, went to sleep, woke up the next morning. And mind you, we were pretty private people before the accident. I mean, you you'll be hardressed to find photos of me fully fullbodied because I just didn't take many photos >> before the accident, but woke up that morning to 13 million views on the video. shot.
>> Yeah.
>> Up >> like overnight >> and everyone asking for the story and at that time Tik Tok only did 30 second to a minute videos.
>> I was like we're not going to make like 30 videos on Tik Tok explaining this. So we >> created the YouTube channel.
>> Yeah. And and we didn't even like create a YouTube channel. I had had the same YouTube account since I was like 12 cuz I grew up like watching PewDiePie and all of them, you know. And so I just changed the name on that and we uploaded a video to my like old channel and then we went on TikTok and we're like, "Hey, like if you want to know what happened, here it is." And and it just explained pretty much what we just told you like the accident and where we were now cuz we were having black and white video.
>> Oh yeah.
>> Yeah. And then people just kept wanting more and then we're like, "Okay, this is kind of fun, you And so then we were just filming all of his progress and and then it just took off and then it never stopped and and yeah, now we get we get to do fun things like this.
>> Yeah. So, and it's opened up so many opportunities too because of the reach of the channel. Like there are people in other states or like like medical professionals and like other states and stuff that otherwise because where we're at Great Falls, Montana, like there's not much reach there. And and and because of social media and because of the reach it has, I feel like we've gotten a lot more opportunities in terms of like his medical advancement than we may have gotten.
>> Oh, sure. Yeah. Like people reaching out to help.
>> Exactly. And if we didn't have that reach with social media, like we probably, you know, wouldn't even know about all these options out there. And if we did, there would have been not really any way for us to, you know, but so that's been an awesome like benefit.
>> And sharing my story has actually saved a couple people, too. There's been three or four >> people that I know of that have contacted me directly that have gone and gotten a hemicerectomy surgery. Really >> that has saved their life.
>> Yeah. before they were like pretty much going to die. And then they said, "What about this surgery?" And >> yeah, and and also from what we've gathered is is all of the major hospitals also, they all now know what a hemicerectomy is. Like >> it's it's not an obscure term anymore.
>> Yeah.
>> Amongst like the hospitals. And so that's cool. And and yeah, and just just building that community pretty much like like we we like just knowing that we're showing other people that like whether they're struggling with their own disability or they're caregivers or they just have something going on or nothing.
Like it's the community we've built on social media is is very like >> supportive.
>> Yeah. Like and supportive of each other.
like our our viewers are all supportive of each other too. Like we notice that a lot in our comment sections. like people, they're not afraid to kind of share their own stuff going on. And then we'll notice the like community within like supporting each other. And that's been really cool to witness and like kind of be at the forefront of like like yeah we're like the main focus in the sense of like we're the ones on the screen but like behind the scenes within like the actual bit of our followers like it's people helping people and like being there for others who are in similar situations.
And so that's been really cool to like experience >> and yeah.
>> Have you met other people that have had your surgery? Um, not in person, but I have met other people that have had my surgery.
>> What was that like?
>> Uh, honestly, it wasn't crazy or really anything, you know, wild. Um, but I have had two pass away on me. Um, Roger Queen and Rand Hall both passed away >> and they rest in peace. But um they uh >> Rand was the first when Randy Hull was the first time he correct metomy survivor we were ever in contact with after the accident cuz he had been surviving like he I think he had his surgery. He said like 12 years ago or something. Um and we learned a lot through him.
>> Yeah. And then Roger Queen was one who he ended up I believe it was a bone >> bone infection.
>> Um and he had been fighting to get a hemi corperectomy because it was kind of his only option. Uh and the surgery was successful but there were other complications that came out to play shortly after.
>> Did he get hearted?
>> Yeah, I'm pretty sure something like that. But yeah, those are those are two known hemicerectomy survivors that like we've >> honestly I was kind of a little jealous of them just because they didn't have the chronic pain that I suffered from >> cuz they their nerves were cauterized or what what have you after the surgery happened >> and >> but due to the traumatic bit of your surgery?
>> Yeah. But due to how my surgery went whatnot, I still suffer from these damaged nerves. That's why take pain meds and >> pretty much he's got all of these nerve endings that just shoot with nowhere to go.
>> So, it's just constant cramping in that area.
>> We're we're working we're trying to find someone who >> a surgeon or a plastic plastic surgeon who go in and >> either block those nerves or cauterize them.
>> Yeah. You're going to have to block them first to because that will determine if cauterizing them will actually >> if you're listening.
>> Reach out.
>> So far, no one's willing to they when it comes to any type of surgery with him, no one wants to touch him because again, a lot of times the the risk outweighs the reward. You know, if we open him up, what if we don't get him closed again?
Because all like even already like at the bottom where he's sewn up, like you can tell it's stretch tight.
they don't really have the room to mess up, you know, and so a lot of >> my organs are all swapped and moved around >> and so no one's really willing to do it.
>> Like the sack that where my stool builds up, like don't mean to be TMI, but like it builds up up here behind my lungs.
>> Wow.
>> And then when I go to poop, it then travels down and goes across the bottom and then comes out. And I can feel it when I'm when the stool isn't like when the stool is too hard or like I'm constipated or whatever.
>> Yeah.
>> And I can feel when it goes across the bottom of my body cuz those damaged nerves >> are affected by it and it can and and be also because of how tight everything's shoved in there like he can't >> if he gets infect any type of swelling.
If he gets a kidney infection and his kidney swells, if he eats too much food and he gets bloated, any type of swelling because everything's already so stuffed in there, any type of swelling pushes on those nerve ends. And so if he eats too much, his pain's going to hurt really bad. If he gets a kidney infection, his pain's going to hurt really bad. If he gets constipated, his pain's going to hurt really bad because it just pushes on those nerve endings cuz there's no room for anything.
But if we're able to get a plastic a surgeon or plastic surgeon to go in and block or cauterize those damaged nerves, >> then I shouldn't have any pain whatsoever because >> I was able to get rid of the phantom pain within the first 6 months after the accident.
>> Oh wow. like due to dude, >> when I was in rehab, they did mirror therapy, but and with the mirror therapy, um what it is is you're trying to uh you're looking at one half of your body and then the other half and you're trying to associate that you're missing this half and da da da or whatever. I don't know how to explain it exactly.
>> I don't even remember. But what they ended up doing was they took a mannequin leg and put some jeans over it so I couldn't tell it was fake as fake as it was, I guess. Um, and then they put the jeans with the mannequin leg up against the bottom of my body like it I was wearing pants. And then they put a mirror up at the end of the bed. And they had me look at the the the leg leading up to my body and then look at the right side of my actual body. And then they took it away and then put it back and then took it away and put it back. That way I could associate that that was actually gone. it was wasn't there.
>> It's a really interesting concept.
>> So your your brain then those nerves >> your brain then associates that that's gone. So those nerves will quit firing.
>> Wow.
>> It's like how it was explained to me and how it works, I guess. And then um there's a video that we have on YouTube of uh these two ladies stretching me on this foam roller. What they're doing is they're stretching my spine and whatnot because um what they had told me or what they had learned or whatever is that stretch when you stretch the spine and whatnot it moves the nerves into new pathways along the spine of the body where they're pushing or >> Yeah. Because my spine was pinching the nerves.
>> Yeah.
>> And so it was causing the phantom pain or whatever. And so by stretching and doing the >> the roller >> the roller down my body, it was moving those nerves into different pathways to get them to quit firing off >> and thinking that they're still attached to the legs which was causing the phantom stuff >> and and to quit being pinched by myself too.
>> Yeah. I know rehab was all sorts of tools for the tool box like >> breathing techniques like making sure deep inhale exhale stuff like that making sure I'm calm and then uh also like working out stuff like that.
>> Mhm.
>> Yeah. I've seen your videos you like working out and stuff. That's wild.
>> Yeah. The So we learned a bunch of exercises for him to do like from home.
Um, and then this last year we started doing like personal training, kind of getting out of the house type stuff. Um, well, I started it and then Lauren started coming and then he started it and >> I ruined it for her.
>> Well, it it started out as, oh, this is my time away to work on myself. And then it turned into, okay, now I have to get Lauren up and bring him with me. and and I can't really focus on my personal training session because I see his wheelchair tipping back every time he moves in that machine, you know, and so yeah, so I'm taking a little break actually from personal training at the moment because it it turned more it was it was it became another caregiver role thing.
>> Yeah. But but >> we are getting our garage finished right my brother's finishing our garage right now and we're going to get Have you seen the tonal workout system? It's this wall-mounted workout system. It's >> It's like an all-in-one type.
>> Yeah, it's like an all-in-one type system that I can roll my wheelchair up to and be able to access everything and do everything independently myself.
>> Yeah.
>> So, we're going to be getting that machine installed in our garage as a and have a workout area and then I'm going to have a physical therapist come over and set me up with a workout routine that I can safely do from home.
>> Yeah. And then I'll be able to go back to my personal training.
>> Yeah. Right. There you go.
>> Yes. He can work out at home and I can get my time away.
>> Wow.
>> But yeah. No, and all of that like it helps with his pain and and uh they his personal trainers also uh taught him a few other stretches like when he's in his prosthetic um that like they were just doing for like these are things you can do at home like in terms of like your fitness. And then we found out that these certain stretches and these certain exercises also really help with his chronic pain. And so that was like a cool like coincidence cuz they were like, "Yeah, no, these are things you can do with your body, you know."
And then he was like, "Oh, these things I do with my body make me feel better."
And so yeah.
>> And then also about to start eating more healthier less foods that could affect me.
>> We don't eat very good >> cuz So you can pretty much eat whatever you want though, right? Yeah.
>> Yeah. No dietary restrictions, >> none whatsoever. Um, but car carbon carbonation messes with my nerves like no other. I used to >> Oh, wow.
>> I used to drink monsters like it they were water, but ever since the accident, I can't drink >> energy drinks.
>> There's no restrictions in terms of health, but obviously there's things that like he's like, I know this is going to hurt me when I eat it. like his restrictions are more pain based and they're more like we've put the restrictions on rather than a doctor being like you can't have this thing he can eat whatever there's we just know certain things are going to hurt him >> as with anyone I know if I eat some cheese I'm going to be crying later going my dummy am I still going to eat the cheese absolutely you know >> but yeah >> but yeah surprisingly no dietary restrictions whatsoever and I've maintained my same weight >> for the last like four years.
>> Well, since I recovered from the accident.
>> Well, yeah. But the first year, like the first year and a half, you didn't fully get to a healthy I'm not dying anymore weight until about the first year and a half. Like it was slowgoing. You putting like meat back on your bones. Like if you look back at like that midway of the first and a half year, like you still look a little skeletal, you know?
>> You could actually I have uh uh mar uh marijuana license um >> like the green the the medical card >> the medical marijuana cards and you can look at the one that I was issued right after rehab and then the one a year later >> and you can just see the health >> yeah there's a big difference in my cheeks and >> yeah you go oh yeah he doesn't like and that's the thing is too is in the moment like when we were like we were just so happy for him to leave be alive that like we didn't really process like how deathly he looks. But like now that like he's at a healthy weight again, like I'll sometimes go back to like those older videos and like he looks like a skeleton and I'm like, "Oh yeah, no, he was like dying like >> Yeah.
>> Wow.
>> So I have a question for you and I ask everybody this but and I I have no idea what you're going to say. Sometimes I am absolutely positive and other times I'm like h your case no clue." If you could go back to that day and you could stop all of it from ever happening, would you do that?
>> Oh, yeah.
>> Absolutely.
>> In a heartbeat.
>> But, you know, I don't do the would a, could a, should, but >> but yeah. No, if I if I could change that day, I would in a heartbeat change that day.
>> Yeah.
>> I would have taken the day off work and just gone and got him.
>> Mhm.
But >> yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> I wouldn't have jumped in the forklift.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Yeah. I know. I We would have changed that day.
>> Yeah.
>> But the stars did align to keep me alive >> and perfectly.
>> Well, here's the thing. I would change that day if I could keep my memories because >> I still want Atlas and I still want Gaia.
And if the accident didn't happen dogs, >> if the accident didn't happen, we would have never been in the situation to get Atlas. And if we never got Atlas, we would have never gotten Gia. And so >> I'm glad my they're more important than my legs.
>> That's not what I'm saying. But I'm saying like if we could go back and change it, obviously we'd know that we're changing it. And so I'd want like if I'm gonna change it, I'm gonna make sure I can still get these two animals that we got after the accident because what like what if we had you can we'll let you keep the animals there. There you go. Yeah. Yeah. You're good.
>> We keep the animal like you know I'd still have to wait because I was in 2019. Guia was born in >> 2 years ago, you know, and Atlas was born in 2020. So, like it would still be a timeline there, but I'd want to keep my memories of our babies so that when the time came >> really messed us both up after the accident though was my accident happened and then CO happened, >> right? Like like when we left Chicago 2 days later, they closed >> when they like had the the little lockdown going on. So like >> ever since the accident my our at least in my mind our the timeline and >> how time >> has just been >> has just sped up immensely and gone by so quickly like past 6 years have just like flown by >> especially because Lauren was so prone to infection during that beginning [ __ ] like when we got back from Chicago and like it was the height of you know like the everyone's no one's leaving their house and uh like with Lauren being so prone to infection, we're like, well, we don't know like how his body is going to handle this if he does get it, so we might as well not risk it, you know. And so we went like straight into our lives, but it was still like this new way of living at the time, you know? And so it was like these two big changes being made. And so those first like I want to say like the first like 3 and 1/2 years since the accident were just kind of like a blip. And in the last like two 3 years, we've kind of been slowing down and being like, whoa, that all went really quick. And >> did you get CO?
>> No, you didn't.
>> Well, you did.
>> You never got it.
>> He did once and it was reason like last year. Yes, because the first time I got CO, I got it from you.
>> Um, but he was asymptomatic essentially.
Oh, wow. He had like a kind of sore throat, but like he vapes and smokes, so like he didn't we always have sore throats, you know, and so he didn't think of anything of it and he was kind of like a little grumpy.
>> How does sicknesses affect you?
>> I have been sick at all.
>> Here's my theory is he gets chronic kidney infections, chronic gut infections, and he's got this chronic pain, and I think his body is so busy fighting off all these other things that like colds and flu, they just kind of don't really his body's like just get out of here. like we don't you know like just push they push away too weak >> you don't know what you're dealing with >> and we didn't realize it and then I was like down for the count like out of it and uh >> can we eat food >> well no the first time I got CO I was in bed for like 3 days and then I recovered way quicker and uh that's when you're like oh yeah I had kind of a sore throat for a couple of days and then like yeah and and then the second time I got CO was the end of last year and that one I was like in the in bed fever dream like sweating terrible. I'm not like I'm wasn't mentally present for like 5 days when she wasn't in bed. She was in the bath.
>> Yeah.
>> Dying.
>> And then it took like two weeks for me to be able to like walk farther than like 50 ft without like >> Oh man. Yeah, that one took me out. But yeah, he only got it the one time and he had a little sore throat. That was it.
>> I was just curious if it was like a big concern for you that it was going to >> We didn't >> Yeah. You had no idea.
>> We took the precautions because we're like he's prone to infection. So like what if it is one?
>> Yeah. And then it ended up being totally fine for him. his I but I I do think that his body's just and it's a theory obviously but I think his body's built up such a like a push out of infections that >> certain ones like certain co's viral right is it viral in yeah and so certain things like colds and flu and stuff his body's just like we don't have time for this get out of here you know >> well I I think your story is absolutely incredible Totally. It's like bananas.
And you guys are incredible. Your your channel is awesome. I've been watching.
>> We try. We try.
>> And uh where can people find you? What's the name of the channel?
>> Sabia and Lauren.
>> Sabia and Lauren. Yeah. He needs workout equipment. We need some some some, you know, some doctors and nurs. Yeah.
Some prosthetics.
>> Be a surgeon out there who has no ethics and goes, "Yeah, I'll open you up."
Somebody's got some really cool new way of doing things that just Yeah.
>> Yeah. Who knows? But that's reach out to them is to try and get there.
>> Yeah. I'm actually starting to work with this nonprofit organization. Uh >> they're going to get me set up with a dry suit >> that is custom fit tailored for me is baggy around these areas to account for some collection.
>> And then they're going to 3D print me some fins and whatnot. teach me how to swim as independently as possible. What?
Cuz at the moment I I spin like a log in a log rolling.
>> Well, and he's topheavy in the water. So like when he floats, like even if he has a normal life jacket on, he goes bottom up >> like a bobber.
>> And so we have to like you know, you know like floaties I have for like babies in the bath where it's just like a tube around their neck.
>> You know like the standard boat life jackets, those orange ones. I pretty much have put one of those around his neck when he's in the water. And even then, he's still like his bottom side still floats up. So he's just like there laying in the water like cuz his bottom side comes up and his head goes down.
>> It's >> Oh, that's Yeah, I was going to say that can't be good.
>> And then if you let me go, I'll just spin literally like a log because my my one arm.
>> But uh so they're going to teach me how to swim as independently as possible by also getting me set up with, you know, like a a fin or whatever on my arm.
>> Are you ever going to have a prosthetic for your arm?
>> Yes.
>> Yeah. So, after the body prosthetic with the company in Helena that we're working with currently, they're going to get me an arm work on our prosthetic. We're just working on the body prosthetic first.
>> Yeah. And eventually we will be uh he'll be getting an Adam Limbs arm. Um but they're still like in production.
>> What is that?
>> It's so M Limbs. It's this company down in San Francisco. What they're doing is they're coming up with an arm that not only has like a thousand more sensors than the regular prosthetic arms, but you can have full movement of each finger >> but by using your muscles and >> but also it restores sense of touch.
>> Yeah, it restores like% sense of touch. So you you can feel what you're picking up, what you're >> and and and because of like that mixed with the independent control of the digits like >> uh like you could pick up a cherry tomato with it and squeeze it just without like breaking it, you know? Like that's how much it gives you control of.
Like you could pick up a tomato and give it a little squeeze and be able to control that when it's like >> crazy.
>> Yeah. And then it it's it's the the goal is like to restore like I think it was like 25% sense of touch. The Adam Limbs is a good example of what I was talking about earlier with our social media and the reach and stuff because we actually discovered Adam Limbs. We saw a Tik Tok about them and like this, you know, and we're like, "Oh my gosh, that's crazy."
And so like we like >> Was it the girl that got uh her arm lost by a shark?
>> No. Okay, cuz I I think we >> it was it was just like a video from the company of like a guy testing it out or something, but then we like looked into this arm and we were like, "Oh my like that's really amazing." And then we like >> we like shared the video and we were like, "This would be so sick." And then all of our subscribers like went to Adam Slim's pages and were like tagging us and like check these guys out. Check these guys out. Like they could use this arm. And then the CEO, Tyler Hayes, uh he ended up like actually like personally reaching out to us and being like come tour like come you can come mess around with like the beta product like and he was like pretty much like was like once this is on the line for like recreational like for every day people and it's not in like testing anymore like you guys are going to be one of the first to get it like all of this.
>> That's awesome. That must have made you feel good, huh?
>> Yeah. Oh, it made me cry honestly when >> when we first when it first happened >> just cuz that that was like five year that was initially right after we got home.
>> Yeah, >> it was like four years ago.
>> But the CEO created like a whole Tik Tok video and everything >> he was going to do and whatnot. So it was it was pretty pretty cool stuff.
>> That is so cool. contact so like you know when the time comes and stuff and we we keep meaning to get down there cuz he told us like if we come down like we can get a tour and whatnot.
>> But so that's like you know that's an exciting thing that's going to be happening eventually that would have never been able to experience without the the >> social media. Yeah. But they're they're still in development and we're just waiting on them to for it to come off the line and >> and we still need an arm at speed time.
>> Yeah. And in the meantime, yeah, I I So what happened? So I was stuck bed bound for like 10 months >> with two kidney stones that would not pass and they couldn't just break them because they were behind my spine and the machine doesn't go through bone like that.
>> A little zapper.
>> And so I was stuck bedbound for 10 months with a extra tube in my kidney cuz this body prosthetic doesn't allow for an extra tube in my kidney. And so I wasn't able to sit up at all for 10 months. So I was stuck bedbound for the 10 months. And that's that 10 months is what kind of kicked me in the ass to, you know, get up and start it it that 10 months of not doing anything and not being able to do anything made me realize that the whole past four or five years I had just been existing and not living.
>> Wow. And so it >> gotten a little like stagnant at that point. Yeah.
>> Yeah. And so it made me start to push for things that I want to happen or need to happen in my life that I was just waiting hoping that they would just come along and happen. I don't know why.
>> And instead it made you take charge and >> Yeah. I mean the that 10 months made me realize that I needed to start taking charge and advocating for myself and >> really start >> getting the ball rolling on these different things myself if I want them to happen. Mhm.
>> And so like that's why the body prosthetics happening, the arm prosthetic.
>> We're working on getting caregivers.
We're we're looking for a handicap accessible vehicle.
>> Um preferably a Yukon XL or >> Yeah, that's Yeah, cuz it was there was only >> out of the things that weren't transit vans, there was only two that had all-wheel or four-wheel drive options, and the only one that wasn't a massive truck that I'm not driving anywhere was the Yukon XL. So, >> and then um also getting like a an occupational therapist to come to my home and do a home evaluation on this needs modified to, you know, like say like the cabinets and cupboards and whatnot in our kitchen. Could use pull out shelving and whatnot. That way I could then access it myself and I could start cooking meals myself in the kitchen and whatnot. Just >> a lot of work to gain certain independences back.
>> Yeah. And just really working on everything and anything I can in any facet whatsoever that gets me any independence back whatsoever.
>> Wow.
>> Whether Yeah. It be physical therapy, occupational therapy.
>> I hope people are listening.
>> They got a a nice long list of things that I think you guys deserve. Yeah, but that nonprofit organization is making the the dry suit, >> getting me uh 3D printed like fins or whatever, helping kind of teach me how to swim as independently as possible.
>> But and then their main goal is to get me scuba diving >> cuz that's what they do is they get people with mental and physical disabilities on swords scuba diving.
>> And so they're going to teach me how to scuba dive. And where that's going to happen is at the crater near Salt Lake City, which apparently is this like geothermal spring that's like surrounded by limestone and it stays like 90 to 100° all year long. And it's just this beautiful, beautiful underwater like cave area that's just amazing to go to.
And so I'm super excited for it. It should be happening this summer.
>> Yeah. actually got a phone call with a whole team of people at Duke Medical University, um, Mayo Clinic and, uh, the people from the organization itself.
They all want to have a Zoom call together to talk about next steps.
>> That's awesome.
>> Yeah, it'll be really cool for him.
>> That'll be totally awesome.
>> He's not partaking in it. I have a deep deep deep fear of death by any type of suffocation. Drowning is on that list.
You won't catch me ever trying to scuba dive.
>> No thank you. I'll go swim. I'll go swimming. But >> but I did just ski not too long ago for the first time in my life.
>> Wait, what?
>> I went I went skiing for the first time in my life.
>> So he was in like this like tobogenesque.
It was like >> it's called a ski sled.
>> Yeah. And then volunteer, the guy who runs uh Eagle Mount is the the nonprofit that does it.
But pretty much Lauren was fitted for this ski sled and then he it was connected via like a a rope uh to a skier or a snowboarder uh volunteers for the >> the program.
>> Fun. Super fun, dude. It took me like seven, eight, eight runs down showdown down the mountain where near our hometown >> and it was the first time since the accident that I've actually like screamed with joy and >> butterflies in my stomach type feeling, you know, cuz they took me off some jumps and stuff, too. And so, >> you know what I'm talking about.
Butterfly stoome >> first time I've experienced that since the accident. So, it was it was it was a great experience. It was.
>> Yeah, it was really >> all right. Take him skiing, too.
>> He needs a ski trip, folks.
>> And my brother actually came along and parttook in that along with my mother, too. My mother-in-law.
>> Yeah. So, it was nice.
>> Like a nice little family >> family get together.
>> Family time.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Well, I appreciate you guys coming out, making the truck out here.
>> This is brand new for us, so this is exciting. This is >> You're welcome back anytime. Oh, we we'll be able to make that drive again. Man, that was a lot.
>> Yeah. All right. Thanks you guys.
>> Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you.
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