Loren Schauers has suffered pain and trauma unimaginable to most people. When he was just 18, his life changed forever when he suffered an accident that left him literally cut in half. As he was driving a forklift across a bridge in Great Falls, Montana, to a construction site, he was forced to veer off the road. He plummeted 50 feet and was agonizingly pinned beneath the forklift. Remarkably, he was conscious during the entire incident and remembers looking down to see his right arm gone and everything below his hips completely crushed. He was rushed to the hospital and put on life support, as family and friends feared the worst. Incredibly, he regained consciousness and told doctors he was determined to fight on. He thanks his sister for him being alive today, because she’s the one who did the research and found an article on hemicorperectory surgery — a radical surgery that removes the lower half of the body. She got in touch with the surgeon and then fought the doctors to let Loren make the decision on going through with the surgery. The surgery was performed, and in 2020 Loren got a bionic arm. Thanks to a specially-made wheelchair and the bionic arm, he has mobility. Nevertheless, he still requires round-the-clock care due to the complex nature of his injuries. In 2021, he married his long-time girlfriend Sabia Reiche, and the couple purchased a home the following year. Today, the 24-year-old is living as normal a life as he can, but it’s clear to see that his upbeat attitude and resilience is what has carried him through.
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| Loren and Sabia before the accident |
