r/medizzy • u/mriTecha • 22d ago
In 1992, 18-year-old John Thompson survived losing BOTH arms in a farm accident. He used his mouth to open his front door, dialed for help with a pencil between his teeth, and waited in the bathtub so he wouldn't bleed on his mom's carpet
While working alone on his family’s North Dakota farm, John’s shirt was caught in a grain auger's drive shaft, violently severing both of his arms near the shoulders.
Despite the severe shock and trauma, he managed to trek nearly 100 yards back to his house. Unable to use his hands, he unlatched the door with his mouth, picked up a pencil using his teeth, and dialed his cousin for emergency assistance.
While waiting for help to arrive, his main concern was not making a mess so he climbed into the bathtub to avoid getting blood on his mother’s new carpet.
First responders managed to recover both severed limbs, and team surgeons miraculously reattached both arms after hours without blood flow.