Photo: RIH Foundation Mauricio Garcia, 30, praised the care he received by medical teams at Royal Inland Hospital, saying he'll be able to hold his newborn baby alongside his wife Humbeline.
A 30-year-old man who suffered near-fatal wounds while on a trip in the Shuswap is thanking the medical teams at Royal Inland Hospital for saving his life.
In a news release, the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation said Mauricio Garcia, 30, was visiting the Shuswap from Calgary on Aug. 2. He was on a houseboating trip with family and friends when someone fell overboard.
Garcia jumped in after the person and was pulled into the propeller, suffering "catastrophic" injuries to his right arm and body.
The RIH Foundation said Garcia's brother-in-law, a trained medical first responder, applied a tourniquet around his nearly-severed arm and directed others to help manage his wounds during a 45-minute race back to shore.
A nurse on a nearby pontoon boat came aboard to assist, and staff from a marina sent a first-aid kid by jet ski as well.
Once at the dock, operating-room nurse Lorraine Benson and her two physician daughters, one of whom is an anesthesiologist who would care for him in hospital, helped to control Garcia's blood loss, started IV fluids and supported his airway.
The RIH Foundation said the family's interventions "bridged the gap until paramedics and the critical care transport team arrived.
He was flown by helicopter to Royal Inland Hospital and was rushed into the operating room, where vascular surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Grab chose life over limb, a decision that saved Garcia's life.
Alongside several other surgeons, Grab said the team pulled him through "severe injuries that very few patients survive."
Garcia spent almost a month in RIH's intensive care and trauma units before he was transferred to Foothills Medical Centre. He underwent multiple surgeries and "countless" interventions.
"Mauricio's story and treatment journey exemplify how complex trauma care is and highlights the amazing team of healthcare professionals we have at RIH and in our region," trauma nurse coordinator Brad Stroich said in the release.
"Patient centered trauma care is a collaborative effort that includes the entire spectrum of our care team from nurses and physicians, to care aides, pharmacists, and the entire team of therapists in allied health."
During Garcia's time at RIH, a test confirmed his wife Humbeline was pregnant, after four and a half years of trying.
"When I learned we were expecting, everything shifted. I wasn't just surviving for myself; I was fighting for our family," Garcia said. "That news gave me strength in my darkest moments and made every painful moment meaningful."
He's now home in Calgary, preparing for a prosthetic arm and getting ready to welcome his baby on April 17 -- his five-year wedding anniversary.
"So many miracles saved my life, but each one began with someone who cared," he said.
"Because of you, I will get to hold my newborn baby. Because of you, my story continues. I carry a gratitude so deep I can't fully put it into words. Thank you."