LUCKY NOBODY GOT HURT, YOU
KNOW.
WELL, HE WAS LEFT FIGHTING
FOR HIS LIFE AFTER A HORRIFIC
CAR ACCIDENT.
ON TOP OF DOZENS OF OTHER REALLY
SERIOUS INJURIES, BOTH OF MARK
TAYLOR'S LEGS WERE SHATTERED.
BUT THE DEDICATED DOCTORS AT UF
HEALTH WERE ABLE TO SAVE HIS
LIFE.
THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO SAVE ONE
OF HIS LEGS.
HE MADE THE PAINFUL DECISION TO
AMPUTATE.
NOW HE IS BEING HONORED FOR HIS
INCREDIBLE RECOVERY AT THE NIGHT
FOR HEROES CELEBRATION.
JOINING ME NOW IS MARK TAYLOR
AND Dr. DAVID, THANK YOU BOTH
FOR COMING IN.
I WANT TO START TALKING
ABOUT WHAT YOU REMEMBER IS JUST
COMING TO AND SOMEONE WAS AT
YOUR DOOR.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING
ON.
TOLD ME I HAD BEEN IN A CAR
WRECK AND TOLD HIM MY LEGS WERE
MANGLED UP PRETTY BAD AND TOOK
ME TO UF AND I KIND OF DON'T
REMEMBER ANYTHING AFTER THAT.
THAT IS WHEN HE CAME TO YOU
AND YOUR A SURGEON ON THE TRAUMA
TEAM THERE.
WHEN HE CAME IN, WHAT WAS THE
DIAGNOSIS?
WE INITIALLY SAW HIM IN IF
TRAUMA CENTER AND HE HAD LIFE
AND LIMB THREATENING INJURIES.
AND SO WE WORKED QUICKLY AND IN
A SEQUENCED FASHION TO ADDRESS
ALL OF THOSE.
Nikki: YOU MADE THE
DECISION TO AMPUTATE BECAUSE --
I WAS READING SOME OF THE
INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD SENT
US THAT IT WAS JUST -- YOU WERE
REALLY STRUGGLING WITH RECOVERY.
YEAH, I WAS REALLY
RECOVERING WITH ACTUALLY
HEALING.
THERE WAS A LOT OF HEALING
PROCESS.
THEY HAD DONE MULTIPLE SURGERIES
AND SKIN GRAFTS.
THEY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO
TRY TO SAVE THIS LEG AND WE GOT
TO THE POINT WHERE ME AND MY
WIFE SAID DO WE KEEP FIGHTING?
DO WE, YOU KNOW, OR DO WE NIP IT
IN THE BUD AND MOVE ON.
WE DECIDED TO HAVE IF RIGHT LEG
AMPUTATED.
NOW THAT YOU ARE ON THIS
SIDE OF THAT DECISION, I KNOW
RECOVERY HAS BEEN INCREDSABLY
CHALLENGING.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A
SECOND.
BUT IS IT -- I KNOW A LOT OF
DOCTORS TOLD YOU THIS IS GOING
THING BE EASIER IN THE LONG RUN.
IT IS GOING BE A LITTLE BIT --
YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT WHEN
THEY TELL YOU.
OF COURSE NOTT.
THEY HAD TO WAIT FOR A
CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
I HAD FRAMES THAT HOLD YOUR
BONES IN PLACE AND THEY, YOU
KNOW, THEY HAD TO WAIT UNTIL I
GOT THOSE OFF TO DO MY BACK
SURGERY BECAUSE IT WAS BROKEN IN
THREE SPOTS.
THE WAITING, YOU KNOW, DAY BY
DAY IS WHAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WORSE
ABOUT WAITING, FIND OUT WHAT IS
GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.
I KNOW YOU SEE A LOT OF
PATIENTS THAT COME IN AND
CERTAINLY THEY'RE FACING A LOT
OF CHALLENGES, TO BE HONORED A
AS HERO FOR HIS RECOVERY WHAT
WERE SOME OF THE REASONS HE FEPT
HE WAS DESERVING?
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK HE'S
THE HERO.
AND WE WERE JUST DOING WHAT WE
DO EVERY DAY AND IT IS AN HONOR
TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE
CARE OF MARK AND TO BE THERE FOR
THE PUBLIC IN A TIME OF NEED.
Nikki: ABSOLUTELY.
I NOEL YOU'RE SO GRATEFUL TO THE
DOCTOR.
AND YOU PRESENTED THEM WITH A
CHALLENGE.
THERE WAS A TIMELINE OF WHEN YOU
WANTED TO BE WALKING.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS?
MY DAUGHTER, SHE'S A SINGER
THIS YEAR -- SENIOR THIS YEAR
AND SENIOR NIGHT I SAID I'VE GOT
TO AND I'VE GOT ANOTHER DAUGHTER
IS GETTING MARRIED, I SAID THERE
IS IS NO WAY I'M NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO WALK.
I'VE GOT TO WALK.
I HAD A TIMELINE SET FOR HER
SENIOR NIGHT.
AND NOT IMPOSSIBLE, BUT I DON'T
THINK YOU'RE GOING MAKE IT.
SO I GOT TO SENIOR NIGHT AND
WENT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
FIELD AND WALKED ACROSS THE
FIELD WITH MY DAUGHTER.
THAT'S AWESOME.
I KNOW YOU ARE DEFINITELY AN
EXAMPLE TO OTHERS WHO, YOU KNOW,
WILL FACE THIS TYPE OF CHALLENGE
IN THEIR LIVES, AND ESPECIALLY
WHEN YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING IT.
YOU KNOW, ONE DAY YOU'RE DRIVING
DOWN ROAD AND NEXT DAY YOU'RE
FACING A DECISION LIKE THAT.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING IN,
AND YOU BOTH ARE ABSOLUTELY
HEROS AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALSO, THE NIGHT FOR HEROES VENT
WILL BE SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 6th.
THE DINNER PROGRAM IS 7 P.M
IT IS AT THE HYATT REGENCY
JACKSONVILLE RIVER FRONT.
DRESS IS BLACK TIE OPTIONAL AND
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