Being in the Wrong Place At the Wrong Time
This is an extraordinary story of a miraculous recovery that occurred to a patient out in Denver, where I worked for about 10 years, about 30 years ago.
I was a nurse on a neurological floor at St. Anthony’s Hospital. There was a remarkable neuro-surgeon that worked there who was unrivaled in his skills and abilities.
One day, a hospital maintenance worker was up on the roof of the hospital at the helicopter landing pad. A copter had come in and a patient had been delivered to our hospital and they were getting ready to take off again. This maintenance worker was unaware of their getting ready to leave and walked up to the helicopter just as the engines started, the blades began to whir and they struck him right in his forehead, above his eyes, slicing open his head. The top of his head was filleted backward. His gray matter had been sliced into as well. It was tragic.
The nurses and doctors on the helicopter jumped out immediately, getting to him in seconds, the man had seized and now lay very still as if dead. However, he had a pulse and was breathing. They called into the hospital, because the patient they had just delivered was delivered to the neuro- surgeon’s care that I spoke of earlier. So they knew he was there. They quickly apprised him of the situation and were told to take him directly to the Operating room, STAT!
They applied sterile wet saline gauze on is brain and head, and transported him right to the OR the surgeon was already there, scrubbed for another case. They took this man directly into surgery.
He was in surgery about eight hours. His family had been contacted and was waiting for him. Finally the doctor came out and told them that he had made it. But he was going to have a long road of recovery ahead of him, but he felt he would recover.
Now when you think about the damage that had been done to this man’s brain, the top of his head had been chopped into by a dirty helicopter blade. There was really no reason to think he would live, let alone recover. And if he did recover he was going to have such neurological damage, it would be surprising if he was not a vegetable.
I took care of this patient for three months. This surgeon saw him every single day. And everyday he would say it would take a little longer. The man couldn’t see, had to be fed through a tube, had tubes for elimination of bowel and bladder, and had to wear oxygen, although he did not require any assist to breath. And he was in a coma.
In the third month, he began to show signs of improvement. For one thing he woke up! Slowly but surely he continued to improve. He was able to drink and eat. He was able to eliminate on his own, no longer required oxygen. And then he was able to speak.
He started physical therapy that first month, when he was able to eat and he slowly but surely made progress.
Well the ending to this story is the miracle. He left the hospital in the fourth month after his injury with absolutely no neurological deficit at all, except a slight lisp. He could walk, talk, eat and think like you or I. He continued therapy for several more months, and sometimes dropped in to say hello. But he was our miracle patient that proved that being in the wrong place but with the right circumstances could still turn out alright. And it didn’t hurt that he had the best neuro-surgeon on the planet either.
That is an amazing story! It certainly was his lucky day, in a way. Thank goodness for the skill of surgeons and the patience of nurses such as yourself.
Wow. Wonderful story!
Highly suspect as there are few, if any, helecopters that have a blade height of a grown man’s forehead.
Well Loki, you are absolutely right, But as I said he was a maintenance man and although I was not physically present to see the accident happen, this is what was told to us that were caring for him after the accident. I have no reason to doubt their telling us the truth. No matter, the top of his head was sliced through. Anyway, I do thank you for stopping by.
Thanks Mike for stopping by.
Hi Debbie, thank you so much for stopping by. Really love your comments. Yes it was very fortunate that things worked out the way they did.
Loki, I can only guess that it was a tail rotor.
The main question I have is, what the hell was he doing with his head between tail rotor blades? Also, did no one check the surrounding area before starting the blades? I assume they noticed the man was there when they landed right?
I agree with you, Why wouldn’t they have checked the area. We can’t even defibrilate someone without clearing the area three times. So don’t they have any rules? But I can’t really say, like I said, I was the nurse caring for him after his surgery. I wasn’t any where near the heliport. It is just what was reported to me. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Wow, that incredible. I can only imagine having my head sliced into by a helicopter blade and my brain literally hanging out for the world to see… I’m glad he made a recovery though. Definitely a miracle there…
You’re certainly right about that. It was a miracle. I am so happy to have been a small part of his recovery. I was in the right place at the right time. Thanks for stopping by.
Wow truly a miraculous recovery. God has a purpose for him.
I think you are right about that. It was really wonderful having him come back to visit us on several occassions. That is one of the hugest rewards of nursing.
That is an amazing story, Susan! Miracles do happen each and every day, don’t they!
Oh they really do Carmen, I see it everyday. Some days more dramatic than others. But something all the time, when you are dealing with humans. thanks for your comment
if true,,, that is a wild story,, but i do find it difficult to believe that the man was as tall as the blades on a helicopter!!!!
Actually we don’t think that is the case. I don’t know since I wasn’t there. but some other commenters on this post have suggested it was the tail blades that got him. That does make more since. But as I said before, I wasn’t there, I took care of him after surgery. This is just what they reported as happening.
WOW amazing… Thanks for sharing that Susan!
You are so welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
What an awesome story. As a nurse, I realize just how much of a true miracle this guy is. You are so right….wrong place…right circumstances
Nice to meet you roschelle, Nurses are always welcome. thanks for stopping by.