This man had half his body amputated after a forklift accident but he's grateful to be alive | You

2022-10-01 05:10:15 By : Ms. Linda Yin

It's been a crazy three years since the accident that left him with only half of his body.

Loren Schauers, from Montana in the US, was operating a four-ton forklift in 2019 when it plunged off a bridge, crushing him. He lived to tell the tale. 

“I was conscious the whole time," he said in an interview the following year. "My eyes were wide open and I saw the forklift come down and land on my hips and my right forearm."

READ MORE| Inspiring attitude of teen who was mauled by a tiger as a toddler: ‘I’m just happy to be me’

The only way surgeons could save him was by performing a hemicorporectomy, an unusual and hazardous surgery in which the legs, genitalia, urinary system, pelvic bones, anus and rectum of the patient are removed. Loren's right arm was also amputated because it had been so badly damaged in the accident.

He and his wife, Sabia, recently shared a moving compilation video documenting how he's had to adapt following the life-changing tragedy.

It begins by showing Loren's attempts to adjust to rehab and physical therapy. Over time, he gains strength and learns how to balance and move around.  

He also shares his honest opinion about how other people react to him.

"Everyone wants to see the world from Loren's perspective, but nobody wants to be in Loren's position," he says.

Sabia, who's his primary caretaker, took up the challenge without hesitation. The video shows her dressing her husband, changing his bandages and helping him into his wheelchair.

The couple, who've been one another’s lifelines throughout the ordeal, got married last year in a simple ceremony in which they vowed to love each other forever. 

A post shared by Loren Schauers (@loren.schauers)

Despite the countless hospital visits and the pain he often finds himself in because of the infections that he's now more prone to, Loren is grateful to be alive. 

READ MORE|MY STORY | I started painting with my mouth after a car accident left me paralysed – now I make money from it

“I have a very simple life now compared to what it used to be," he says. "There’s a lot more laying around than before. [But] it was about three months after the accident that I finally wrapped my head around how crazy and miraculous it really is for me to be alive.”

The poignant video ends with the couple moving into their new home as Loren patiently waits for the arrival of his new bionic arm. 

"It's been a long and wild journey and we can't wait to see where else life will take us, and we hope we can continue taking you all along with us," they write in a message posted at the end of the video.

Sources: people.com, nypost.com, youtube.com, 

Subscribe to YOU's weekly food newsletter and get delicious, easy-to-whip-up recipes.