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Daniel Bax, Trauma Recovery StrategistI stood and fought! Will you?

By Daniel Bax, Trauma Recovery Strategist

Life brings you what you ask of it.

Thoughts equal actions, actions equal outcome and outcomes equal your destination in life. What are you thinking? This is my personal account of that day in 2005 when I made a decision that would impact more people than I ever thought possible.

I had a wild day back in the fall of 2005; let’s just say I called it into my life. Here’s where it all starts. I was test driving a motorcycle that belonged to one of my clients. I wanted to ride down country roads to stay away from traffic. I was taking preventative measures to protect myself from injury and from damaging the bike. These precautions were important because I ran two businesses and was involved in mountain bike racing and other outdoor adventure sports. As I was riding down the back roads to stay away from traffic, I ran into a row of traffic. Wanting to get away from the cars to be in a safe place, I proceeded to pass – and as I was passing – a van turned out in front of me. As I tried to weave around the van my bike started sliding into the back of the van.

My head smashed through the back window, the impact shattered my left hand, left leg and crushed my brachial plexus. I collapsed my shoulder; the momentum threw me up in the air as high as the streetlights, approximately 30-40 feet (according to an on-looker). As I was dragged through the window, the shards of glass sliced my neck wide open severing the Sternomastoid muscle, my jugular vein, vagus nerve, and all other arteries and muscles on the left side of my neck, all the way down to my esophagus. As I came down, I landed on my face smashing open my lower jaw and most of my molars, and completely knocking out one tooth – the nerve of the ground to take my tooth, I was always there to support it.

I shattered my left knee and vertically split my tibia, and as if that’s not enough for one day I fractured my neck too; the fi rst four vertebrae C1-4 and 6-8. I lost four out of five litres of blood; two litres in my lungs and two litres in the ditch. If that’s not enough, I endured anoxia for 30 minutes. We found it in the ditch but they didn’t want to keep it so they just left it there. How wasteful is that? One of the onlookers called the police. Police said they are rarely in the area, but it just so happened to be that they were two-three minutes down the road. The police called for EMS – it just so happened that they were already on the highway and the next exit was the one to get to me. They were only five minutes away; they are usually twenty minutes away. EMS then called for air transit – they are normally going on a mission somewhere and it just happened that they were flying above us. Our Lord had it all figured out and placed the units where they were supposed to be in order to save my life.

A Story Unlike Any OtherNow I realize that I have a mission and a purpose that I am supposed to be on in this life. That purpose is to share and spread inspiration, perseverance, guidance, and provide hope to any and all other injured or challenged people that I possibly can. The doctors and surgeons said to my family that I would never walk, eat solid food, move my left side, or talk properly again as I had paralyzed a vocal cord. I was sitting in my wheelchair right beside him (the nerve). I looked at him and mumbled, I’LL BE FREE. No one and nothing can ever hold me back. At that time I was unable to move, or feel my left side. As I became more conscious I began to focus all my energy to wiggle my toes. I would focus on this all the time when I was in bed. One day my mother came in and she was washing me, I pointed at my foot and she looked: I proceeded to wiggle my toe. I had been working on this for days to surprise my mother.

Four months later I was moved to a new hospital and they asked me of my goals. I said, “I will walk out of here.” They told me those were high hopes and to get realistic. I said I’d would do it within the next six months and that I would give them my wheelchair and cane. Five months later I walked up and gave them my chair and cane then thanked them all for all they had given me.

A few months after I was released, FREEDOM YEAH! I went back to thank the surgeon that worked on me (the one who said I would never do any of this). I walked in behind my wheelchair using it as support. He saw me, backed up, you could hear him hit the wall, and you could almost hear his jaw hit the floor. He then called for the nurses that worked on me with him. As they came out one fell to her knees and they both started crying not believing their eyes. Now that I have endured 34 surgeries in 36 months and am now independent, I inspire and push all to reach for the stars and call into your life what you Dream and Desire. Now I am talking, walking, eating solid foods and exercising with my left side. Nothing can or will ever hold me back from achieving my Dreams, and Goals. I am setting new standards, busting all boundaries and creating new barriers. Nothing will hold me back. “I MUST STEP UP, STEP UP, STEP UP!”

I hope my challenge moves you, and stimulates you to become all you can become. Allow your imagination to run wild. You are worthy of all you Desire!

“Live with Purpose, Give with Purpose.”

Share Your Story

OBIA would like to hear from you! Send your stories to: stories@obia.on.ca

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