A man who was cut in half by a forklift has revisited the site where his accident occurred for the first time in over five years.
Loren Schauers was just 18 when he was pinned underneath the industrial truck in September 2019, suffering horrific injuries which claimed his right arm and everything below his stomach.
Now 24, the Montana-based content creator has shared the heartbreaking details of the incident and how he is happy to still be alive, with his loving wife also providing incredible support as he learned to live life following his hemicorporectomy - the amputation which saw the entire bottom half of his body removed.
Recalling his reaction to the life-changing decision, his wife Sabia said: "From that moment is when I knew that he wasn't going anywhere, because he looked them dead in the eye and told them that he doesn't care if he's just a head on a plate, they're gonna do the surgery and they're gonna keep him alive.
Advert
"And so, that really brought a lot of hope for us that, you know, he was a fighter, which we already knew because he was still alive."
Now, having paved a life as social media creators with close to 700k subscribers on their YouTube channel, the duo bravely decided to revisit the industrial site which changed Loren's life forever.
As they approached the site, Loren appeared fine but Sabia got visibly distressed as the thought of returning there hit home.
While they are unable to get out of the car, due to the terrain not being suitable for Loren's wheelchair, the couple looked back on where he was thrown out of the forklift.
Loren suggested that there were no weird feelings associated with the site, other than questioning how he was still here.
He said: "Surprisingly, I don't have any feelings that are taking over now that we are here."
Sabia added: "I seriously think that while he got all of the physical trauma, I got all of the emotional trauma, because I am not doing good right now. I'm struggling."
Loren has previously opened up about what happened when he was rushed to hospital, where doctors were unable to save his legs or his right arm due to the severity of his injuries.
He explained: "There's, like, 10 to 15 people in this emergency room just all while not knowing what the f**k to do.
"I lifted my head and looked up and I see my legs just looking like Derrick Rose's leg times 10. Pretty much just bone sticking out everywhere and my legs were just completely done for, let's put it at that.
"And they slam my head down, put a strap over my head, told me that they didn't want me to lift my head in case I broke my spine. And then they put the anaesthesia mask on me. Still felt no pain at this point.
"And as I'm laying there, still not feeling any pain, I felt them make this midline incision in my stomach and start putting my ribs back into place.
"I don't know if it was a feeling or a hearing but it was like, cracking, and finally I passed out."
Topics: Social Media, Health, US News
James Moorhouse