O.C. firefighter who feared he was paralyzed in freeway crash walks out of rehab

An Orange County firefighter who suffered spinal wire accidents in a September freeway rollover was launched from a Colorado rehabilitation facility Friday.

Firefighter Andrew Brown, who had feared being completely paralyzed when his crew truck crashed coming back from a wildfire, walked off a airplane at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana to applause and cheers from household and fellow firefighters.

“I used to be very involved if I used to be ever gonna be capable of stroll or transfer my arms once more,” Brown informed KTLA-TV following almost two months of therapy at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colo., which focuses on treating folks with mind and spinal accidents.

Brown was considered one of eight members of the Orange County Fireplace Authority’s Santiago Hand Crew damage within the Sept. 18 accident on State Route 241 in Irvine. The firefighters have been en route residence from a shift combating the Airport fireplace, an enormous blaze that began in Trabuco Canyon and burned 1000’s of acres in Orange and Riverside.

With Brown’s launch, just one firefighter stays in a medical facility. That man, whose household has requested that he not be recognized publicly, can also be present process therapy at Craig Hospital.

A ladder that fell from one other automobile triggered the accident. The driving force of the firetruck swerved across the ladder, ensuing within the truck putting a guardrail and flipping over.

Brown informed KTLA that he had no reminiscence of occasions from the time the truck started to tilt till he was outdoors the automobile and severely injured.

“I assumed I used to be going to die within the ambulance,” he informed the channel, including, “I used to be terrified — I used to be simply praying that God would care for my spouse, who’s pregnant, and that was my greatest concern. That was all I may take into consideration throughout that ambulance journey.”

He stated he was informed within the intensive care unit to count on to be bedridden for months. However by the start of October, medical doctors felt he was robust sufficient to journey to Colorado in a gurney for rehab. A contingent of firefighters escorted him to the airport.

In Colorado, he needed to relearn to make use of his legs and arms. He stated it was tough however that he had a robust motivation.

“I simply wanna be capable of assist my spouse and maintain my daughter and play along with her sometime, and throw her within the air,” he informed KTLA.