On Oct. 17, 2007, disbelief struck the small town of Paducah, Ky. Josh Heine, the 18-year-old recent graduate of Paducah High School, was seen speeding in his uncle’s stolen Porsche, going in excess of 100 mph. Suddenly, Heine lost control of the car, sending him off the road and directly into a tree. The force of the collision expelled Heine, who was not wearing his seatbelt, out of the car.
By the time paramedics arrived, they believed Heine was not going to make it to the hospital. He stayed with the paramedics and fought his way to the hospital. Once there, the doctors immediately began the process of getting him air-lifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Tennessee; this was halted when they were not able to get him stable enough to be lifted to another hospital. At this point, doctors already knew of at least 12 broken bones.
Heine had no feeling below his neck, prompting the use of an X-ray. The results were disturbing; Heine had fractured his C4, C5, and C6 vertebrates, and doctors said he would never walk again. After undergoing a series of surgeries to help with shattered bones in his arm, Heine was then found to have a broken pelvis and began the use of a catheter. Continue reading
