无毛视频楬appy to be alive无毛视频� North Strabane man begins road to recovery after surviving deadly terror attack
Days after surviving the deadly terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year无毛视频檚 Day, Jeremi Sensky of North Strabane Township continues to recover in the intensive care unit of a New Orleans hospital following surgery to repair his badly broken legs.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 happy to be alive,无毛视频� said Sensky from his hospital room in University Medical Center, where his wife, Crystal, and daughter, Heaven Sensky-Kirsch, have remained by his side.
Sensky, 51, had driven to New Orleans to ring in the new year with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and two family friends and was heading back to his hotel room when a Texas man driving a white pickup truck barrelled onto the sidewalk and plowed into the crowd before he was killed in a shootout with police.
Fourteen people died and 35 others 无毛视频� including Sensky, a quadriplegic who was thrown from his wheelchair after it was struck by the truck 无毛视频� were injured.
As he lay crumpled on the pavement trying to make sense of what happened, Sensky heard yelling and gunfire.
无毛视频淗e was reaching for his phone but couldn无毛视频檛 find it, and he started screaming for help,无毛视频� said Sensky-Kirsch, who had returned to the hotel room earlier that morning with her mother while Sensky stayed behind for pizza. 无毛视频淏ecause he was on the ground, he was beneath the gunshots, which probably saved him. We feared the worst for hours. We didn无毛视频檛 know what happened to him. We didn无毛视频檛 think there was any way he could have survived any traumatic injury.无毛视频�
A first responder told Sensky he knew he was hurt, but medical personnel had to treat other victims more severely injured, and assured him they would return for him.
无毛视频淗e kept telling us about a police officer named Patrick who ended up staying with him,无毛视频� said Sensky-Kirsch.
She said her father realized he was seriously injured 无毛视频� his leg 无毛视频渨as shattered in pieces,无毛视频� he told news outlets 无毛视频� and Sensky isn无毛视频檛 sure how long he remained on the cold ground before first responders placed him on a stretcher and carried him to an ambulance, which transported him to University Medical Center.
In all, 30 patients were transferred to UMC, the only level one trauma center in the area.
无毛视频淭his was a complicated incident in that the patients we treated had a mix of blunt trauma as well as penetrating trauma, such as gunshot wounds,无毛视频� said a hospital spokeswoman on Sunday. As of Sunday, seven patients, including Sensky, remained in the hospital无毛视频檚 ICU.
On Wednesday, Sensky underwent more than 10 hours of surgery on two broken femurs, including the compound fracture of his right leg.
Sensky and his family are trying to come to grips with the aftermath of the attack and to steel themselves for the long recovery ahead.
Sensky-Kirsch 无毛视频� who tried frantically to find her father on Bourbon Street before she and her mother tracked him down in the hospital无毛视频檚 emergency room 无毛视频� said her father 无毛视频渋s a fighter who loves to live life.无毛视频�
Sensky was paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident on Christmas Eve in 1999.
无毛视频淒ad has a remarkable attitude. I don无毛视频檛 know anyone like him. He loves life. He无毛视频檚 horrified and traumatized at how many people didn无毛视频檛 make it; we无毛视频檙e all trying to process that. But he无毛视频檚 ready to get out there and live his life because so many didn无毛视频檛 make it and he is still here,无毛视频� said Sensky-Kirsch.
Sensky and his family know the road to recovery will be a challenge.
As a quadriplegic, even the surgery to repair Sensky无毛视频檚 legs was dangerous: the anesthesia posed risks for him because respiratory muscle weakness has impacted his lungs, and the damage to his legs was severe.
无毛视频淚t was a huge hurdle that they were able to get him off the ventilator. It was a relief,无毛视频� said Sensky-Kirsch. 无毛视频淭he road ahead is complicated and it无毛视频檚 going to be unpredictable. Having these extensive injuries is a different hurdle for a quadriplegic. We无毛视频檙e feeling relief that he无毛视频檚 here with us, but we无毛视频檙e trying to wrap our heads around the road ahead and getting his wounds properly cared for and getting the physical therapy he will need. The doctors are worried about the trauma of him getting back in a chair and how he will respond. There are a lot of things to manage.无毛视频�
The family has started a GoFundMe campaign, https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jeremis-recovery-after-tragic-terror-attack,
to help cover expenses for a new motorized wheelchair and other medical expenses they无毛视频檙e facing.
Chilling images of Sensky无毛视频檚 mangled wheelchair next to the pickup truck have circulated in media reports.
无毛视频�(Heaven) texted me that morning and I saw his wheelchair on the news, and she told me his legs were shattered and I was shocked,无毛视频� said Sensky无毛视频檚 longtime friend and neighbor, Milton Pankas of North Strabane Township. 无毛视频淲hen I talked to him on the phone the other day, he was way more worried about everyone that was hurt in the accident. He told me there were people hurt way more badly than him and to worry about them.无毛视频�
On Friday, a motorized wheelchair was delivered to the hospital by the Permobil Foundation, which is lending Sensky the chair until he gets a new one.
Sensky, who has shared his story with national and international news media, said the past days have been 无毛视频渟urreal.无毛视频�
He and his family are grateful to the first responders and the medical team that treated him after he arrived at the hospital.
The family also is thankful for the support they have received from family and friends in Southwestern Pennsylvania and across the country since the attack.
无毛视频淲e feel such massive gratitude for all of the people who have reached out to help. My dad can无毛视频檛 believe the support system our country has, and there are tons of helpers in the world, people who want to help,无毛视频� his daughter said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e so thankful for that.无毛视频�
Ironically, just after midnight on New Year无毛视频檚 Day, Sensky recorded a video on his phone of his family and friends counting down the new year, accompanied with a text, 无毛视频淵inz all be safe out there.无毛视频�
And Sensky texted Pankas 无毛视频� who had spent time with Sensky on the night of his 1999 car accident 无毛视频� shortly before the terrorist attack.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a night owl, and he texted me at 2:20 (a.m.) and said, 无毛视频楬appy New Year, brother,无毛视频� I said, 无毛视频楢re you still up?无毛视频� and he said, 无毛视频榊eah,无毛视频� which wasn无毛视频檛 a surprise. He无毛视频檚 lucky that he无毛视频檚 alive. He无毛视频檚 like a brother; he无毛视频檚 not only a neighbor but we无毛视频檙e really good friends. He无毛视频檚 a really tough guy,无毛视频� said Pankas, who visited Sensky nearly every day during his hospital stay and rehab following the car accident. 无毛视频淗e didn无毛视频檛 let that injury ruin his life. He无毛视频檚 a family man and a great guy. He无毛视频檚 an upbeat guy and a go-getter, and he无毛视频檒l overcome this.无毛视频�
Sensky-Kirsch said the family is trying to find the best in the situation as her father begins to heal. Sensky received several pints of blood at the hospital, and Sensky-Kirsch is encouraging people to donate blood at a blood drive or at a blood donation center.
Sensky-Kirsch, her husband, Casey Kirsch, and her mom plan to remain with Senksy until he is able to be transported for medical care to central Florida, where Sensky and his wife usually spend the winter months near family. Sensky-Kirsch said the trip to Florida will be 无毛视频渢ricky,无毛视频� and his family is concerned about how his surgically repaired legs will do on the journey.
Sensky, however, is looking forward to the trip.
无毛视频淎s much as I want to get back to Pennsylvania, I无毛视频檓 waiting for the snow to be gone,无毛视频� said Sensky. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檒l be back in the spring.无毛视频�
Despite his ordeal, Sensky, a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan, was ready on Saturday to watch the black-and-gold play the Cincinnati Bengals (the Steelers lost 19-17 to the Bengals in the final game of the season).
无毛视频淥ne of the first things he asked when they took out the ventilator was, 无毛视频楧id the Steelers win?'无毛视频� said Sensky-Kirsch. 无毛视频淲e told him that it was the wrong day, they hadn无毛视频檛 played yet.无毛视频�
Sensky has been interviewed by the FBI as they piece together the incident.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 so lucky to be alive. Many families here did not get the news we did. The road ahead is unpredictable, but we无毛视频檙e so grateful for everyone who has reached out in support. It无毛视频檚 been incredible,无毛视频� said Sensky-Hirsch.
无毛视频淲e will pay all of the support that无毛视频檚 been given to us forward once we get back on our feet 无毛视频� or our wheels. My dad will soon be out on the streets of Sanford, Fla., dancing to music and enjoying his life. My dad wants everyone to 无毛视频榢eep on keeping on无毛视频� and for them to enjoy and be grateful for their lives.无毛视频�