Now this is a story I love to read about. Well, maybe not the first part, but definitely the second part. I love to hear that a man was able to overcome a tragic accident. He didn't let some bad luck from a game of catch derail his life. He overcame the adversity and worked his way back. With only a little help from modern technology.
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The Accident
Four years ago, Matthew Jolly broke his leg playing catch, according to ABC12 News. I know, I was also stressed reading that. Don't worry, though, it was a freak accident. And he is doing much better now.
When speaking of the accident, Matthew said, "I was out in the yard playing catch, and my buddy just pushed me a little bit when I was catching the football. I stepped in a hole and twisted my ankle and snapped it."
And just like that, his life was changed forever. He ended up going through 17 surgeries and multiple types of medications on his road to recovery. I can only imagine what going through all of that was like. Imagine going from playing catch with your friends to now going through a series of surgeries.
Eventually, he decided to have his leg amputated. I know, most likely the toughest decision anyone would have to face. Six months later, he received his first prosthetic leg and started working with Ben Hogan.
The Recovery
Apparently, Matthew has been a superhero on the recovery path.
"He could walk effectively from day one, which is a rarity," Hogan said. And he wasn't lying. The man ended up only needing two weeks to heal and get comfortable with the prosthesis. Apparently, most need four to six.
Speaking more on Matthew's recovery process, Ben Hogan said, "Pretty outlandish in a good way," And I couldn't agree more. Maybe even in the best way.
And recently, Matthew Jolly was able to compete in his first 5K in four years. It was the Saint Patrick's Day 5K in Bay City. He then took part in his second race over the weekend. This race was the Limb Loss 5K in Grand Rapids.
I don't know how you can't smile at this.
