WHAT MAKES THIS ONE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM YEARS PAST, COMING UP IN A LIVE REPORT? WELL
IT WAS A DEVASTATING TORNADO,
DESTROYING HOMES, DAMAGING
BUSINESSES UP IN GAILLARD. TWO
PEOPLE WERE KILLED MORE THAN 40
INJURED BY THAT POWERFUL EF
THREE TORNADO. THIS WAS LAST MAY
. ONE OF THE SURVIVORS HAS
ALREADY OVERCOME INCREDIBLE ODDS
JUST TO STAY ALIVE. HE IS BACK
HOME IN THIS NORTHERN MICHIGAN
COMMUNITY SHARING THOSE
HARROWING MOMENTS WHERE LIFE IS,
HE KNOWS IT CHANGED IN AN
INSTANT. I HEARD A LOUD FREIGHT
TRAIN SOUND. I WENT TO MY
BEDROOM. I SEEN A CARPORT. HIT
MY NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE. CAME OUT OF
NOWHERE. ONE MINUTE DAVE AND HIS
SON WERE HOME GETTING READY TO
MEET FRIENDS FOR A BONFIRE. THEY
PLANNED FOR THAT FRIDAY NIGHT.
THEN HE HEARD AN UNMISTAKABLE
SOUND JUST ALLOWED TRAIN. SOUNDS
LIKE IT WAS COMING THROUGH MY
HOUSE. THAT’S WHAT IT SOUNDED
LIKE. HOW DID YOU EVEN FEEL IN
YOUR BODY AT THAT MOMENT?
SCARED. VERY SCARED. SECONDS
LATER, A MASSIVE OAK TREE FROM
THE FRONT YARD FELL DIRECTLY ON
TOP OF DAVE’S HOUSE, DAVE SAYS.
THAT’S WHEN EVERYTHING AROUND
HIM WENT DARK. I DIDN’T REALLY
FEEL A LOT OF PAIN AND I DON’T
KNOW HOW I WAS ABLE TO HOLLER
FOR HELP WITH THE COLLAPSE LONG
I DIDN’T FEEL ANYTHING I KNEW I
COULDN’T FEEL MY LEGS. AND I HAD
TO TELL MY SON NOT TO MOVE
NOTHING BECAUSE I COULDN’T FEEL
MY LEGS. I GOT TRAPPED BENEATH
TWO WALLS. WHAT WAS GOING
THROUGH YOUR MIND? AS YOU WERE
LAYING THERE. THANK GOD I’M
STILL ALIVE. HOPEFULLY MAKE IT I
DIDN’T KNOW. MY FAMILY CUP.
GOING THROUGH MY HEAD. I DIDN’T
WANT TO LEAVE HIM. OKAY. SORRY.
AH YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT YOUR
BOYS BOYS, WIFE, GRANDKIDS.
PARENTS. EVERYTHING. IT WAS NO
SCARY. THE STORM LEVELED HIS
HOUSE. IT WAS REDUCED TO RUBBLE
. AN AMBULANCE CAME AND RUSHED
TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL. IT TOOK
MORE THAN THREE WEEKS IN THE
HOSPITAL AND COMING OFF A
VENTILATOR BEFORE DAVE WAS
REALLY AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED
FIRST DOCTOR THAT TALKED TO ME.
PRETTY MUCH TOLD ME. I HAVE ONE
IN 50 CHANCE OF WALKING. AND
THEN I KNOW THE DOCTOR TOLD ME I
WOULD PROBABLY NEVER WALK AGAIN
. COULDN’T WALK, TALK OR EVEN
BREATHE ON HIS OWN. HE CAME TO
US PRETTY BEAT UP. SO OBVIOUSLY
HE HAD THE SPINAL CORD INJURY,
RIGHT, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF
OTHER INJURIES THAT ALSO
HAPPENED SO HE HAD BROKEN RIBS.
HE HAD A LOT OF BREATHING ISSUES
NEVER BEEN WITH A PATIENT THAT
WENT THROUGH. SO MUCH TRAUMA
LIKE THAT, JUST THAT KIND OF
SITUATION. WE’VE BEEN WITH
PATIENTS WITH LIKE CAR ACCIDENTS
, BUT I FEEL LIKE JUST THE
TORNADO TAKING DOWN YOUR WHOLE
HOME AND JUST CHANGING YOUR LIFE
. I FEEL LIKE I’VE NEVER WORKED
WITH THE PATIENT TO THAT LEVEL,
WITH THE HELP OF HIS TEAM OF
DOCTORS, THERAPISTS, AND, OF
COURSE, HIS FAMILY. DAVE SPENT
THE NEXT THREE MONTHS RELEARNING
BASIC THINGS, THINGS MANY OF US
TAKE FOR GRANTED, TAKING SMALL
STEPS TOWARDS REGAINING HIS
INDEPENDENCE, DOCTORS SAY. RIGHT
NOW IT’S STILL TOO SOON TO TELL
HOW LONG DAY WILL BE IN A
WHEELCHAIR. THE DOCTORS ALWAYS
TELL PATIENTS WAIT ABOUT A YEAR
TO SEE WHERE YOUR FUNCTION IS
BECAUSE YOU REALLY NEVER KNOW
WHAT YOU COULD. GET BACK AND A
LOT OF TIMES YOU’RE GOING TO BE
SEEING IT AFTER YOU LEAVE
INPATIENT REHAB. IF YOU BECOME
PARALYZED. DON’T DON’T GIVE UP
FIGHT. I FIGHT EVERY DAY. IT’S
BEAUTIFUL HERE. DIFFERENT LOOK
ON LIFE NOW. I THOUGHT I WAS
INVINCIBLE. WELL, I KIND OF FEEL
LIKE IT’S STILL BUT YOU THOUGHT
YOU WERE INVINCIBLE BEFORE BUT
NOW YOU FEEL LIKE WHAT LIFE IS
TOO SHORT. DON’T YOU KNOW,
YOU’VE GOT TO LIVE IT. AND DAVE
HAS HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY
SUPPORT. HE’S IN A NEW HOME. HE
HAS A RAMP. THERE IS A GO FUND
ME, THOUGH, TO TRY TO HELP HIM
AND HIS FAMILY WITH SOME OF
THOSE ADDITIONAL MEDICAL
EXPENSES, AND WE’VE LINKED IT
FOR YOU ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
AND HE’S IN A GREAT COMMUNITY TO
GET HELP. I MEAN, JUST BEING UP
THERE VERY TIGHT KNIT, AND
PEOPLE CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER UP
THERE. HE WANTS TO BE A POSITIVE