After falling 95 feet off of a ladder during training Ben Schultz, a firefighter from Alaska, has beat the odds. His therapist and doctors consider him a living miracle. Surgeons who initially operated on Schultz didn't think he would survive.
Now, the father of two is in Omaha working to get back to doing the things he loves. Schultz spent eight months rebuilding his brain function at a Denver Hospital. About a month ago he came to QLI in Omaha where he's taking recovery one step at a time, literally, mending his two broken ankles.
"The final hurdle is the left ankle," Schultz told 6 News. It took a lot of pain to get here, not just for Schultz, but for his family too. Schultz's father said it's hard to think about the day his son's pulse stopped.
"Devastating. Simply devastating. Traumatic," said Jeff Schultz. But he's been by his son's side as he works through therapy thousands of miles from home. In about two months time Schultz will go back to Alaska, maybe even back to the Anchorage Fire Department too.
"That's the plan. Yep, as long as I can pass the physical test and cognitive test. They will hopefully hire me back," he told 6 News.
Schultz's is passionate about being a firefighter, it's been his dream since he was in high school. When he isn't in physical therapy, he's taking EMS classes and firefighter training at a local college. Schultz says he is mentally ready to return to the field as an Anchorage firefighter.