When this man was found frozen in the snow, his doctor had a completely crazy idea to save him
It was a sad morning in Tresckow, Pennsylvania, and Don Smith was facing his worst nightmare. After searching for his son Justin, he found the 26-year-old man blue and unconscious on the sidewalk, apparently dead from the cold temperatures.
Desperate, Don called the emergency services - but could they help? Well, it turned out that a doctor had one last - but crazy enough - idea that could save Don's son.
A normal eveningLess than 12 hours before he was found on the ground, Justin was at the local bar, drinking beers with his friends. But when he said goodbye to his loved ones and went out into the freezing night, no one could guess what would happen next.
The evening had started well and nothing hinted at the direction the young man's life was about to take. And for Justin and his family, things would never be the same after that evening.
Dangerous temperaturesBefore Justin could do anything, the freezing temperatures had him in their deadly grip. In fact, when his father found him the next morning, he was completely frozen.
In this state, Justin's lifeless eyes seemed to be staring at the sky. Wide open, frozen eyelashes, no longer reflecting anything warm. And more worrisome, he had no pulse.
A father's despairSo, as he prayed for a miracle, Don clung to his son’s body while waiting for the arrival of emergency services. Then, when it was determined that nothing could be done to save the young man, the medical examiner was called.
But because Justin was too frozen, he could not be legally declared dead. And as he began to warm up, something incredible happened - a medical miracle that shocked the world.
An ordinary manBefore that fateful night, Justin was a 26-year-old man like many others, living in a small town in Pennsylvania. He admitted that he enjoyed having a drink or two, and he wasn’t against taking some risks either.
However, Justin had responsibilities, as he was studying for a degree in psychology at Pennsylvania State University. In his free time, he enjoyed playing golf and supporting the Philadelphia Phillies.
Night out with friendsAnd, at first glance, this evening of February 20, 2015, started like many others. That night, Justin and his friends gathered at the Tresckow Volunteer Fire Company bar to pass the time and not notice the evening pass by.
The bar was a place they frequented regularly, which is not surprising for this small town. Nevertheless, there was something specific about this particular day that plunged the group into a somber mood.
The accidentTen years ago, a terrible accident had destroyed Justin's life. When he was still a teenager, he was involved in a fatal car accident that killed his best friend.
And even though he had survived the impact, the young man certainly had not forgotten what had happened. In fact, that night, he was commemorating the anniversary of the tragedy in his own way.
A responsible decisionInitially, Justin had planned to leave with a friend, but as the evening progressed, he realized that he actually wanted to go home earlier than anticipated. Justin also didn't want to wait around until the driver was ready to leave.
So, as he had drunk far too many beers to drive his own car, he decided he would simply walk the 3km home. A very responsible decision but one that would also cost him dearly.
The journey backApparently, Justin had walked this path several times in the past; however, that night, he was not dressed appropriately for the freezing conditions outside, wearing only a pair of sneakers, a hooded jacket, and jeans.
Nevertheless, the 26-year-old man began his journey back because for Justin, the cold of his small town was like a second skin - during a night that he later learned had been the coldest of the year.
A hypothesisSo, at 9 p.m., Justin leaves his friends at the bar. Then, after walking for nearly 2km, disaster struck. Although exactly what happened remains uncertain, doctors believe that Justin slipped on a snow bank and hit his head.
He was plunged into an unconscious state, and the young man remained defenseless, unable to do anything as his body succumbed to the cold. And the minutes passed, slowly turning into hours.
Throughout the night, Justin lay on that snowbank, his body frozen as the temperature dropped below zero. Meanwhile, his girlfriend at the time was growing increasingly worried.
Uncertain of what had happened, she spent the night trying to reach Justin's father, Don, as she couldn't reach her partner. And finally, the next morning, the anxious father's search began.
A horrifying sightDon found Justin lying on his back in the snow around 7:30 am. By that time, he had turned blue, while his arms and legs appeared to be black. Although Justin's eyes were open, there was no sign of life inside.
Even so, Don desperately searched for Justin's pulse despite his completely frozen body, lying there less than 2 km from their home. He was not going to give up on his son.
Tragedy"I held him close and cried, 'Justin, don't leave me,'" Don told Lehigh Valley Health Network. "Then I called his mother and told her, 'Justin is dead.'" A bitter memory for the father.
And when the emergency services arrived, they came to the same conclusion, as they too could not find Justin's pulse. The question was settled...
It's overConvinced that Justin was deceased, the rescuers placed a white sheet over his body and contacted the authorities. And according to Dr. Gerald Coleman of Lehigh Valley Hospital in the nearby city of Hazleton, the situation seemed grim.
"The medical examiner was on the scene," a 2016 report quoted Coleman. "The police were also there. They had begun an investigation into the death." It seemed like the end for Justin...
A doctor's experienceBut the story is not over yet. Seeking advice on the situation, one of the rescuers by Justin's side called Coleman. And, fortunately, the experienced doctor knew that when it came to surviving in extreme temperatures, things were not always what they seemed.
His years of experience spoke for him and in fact, he believed it was even possible to bring the young man back to life - even if it seemed impossible. But, we have seen much more improbable things, haven't we?
The dangers of coldNevertheless, in regions as cold as Pennsylvania where winter temperatures can easily drop below zero, the risks associated with the cold season are very real.
And when conditions are at their worst, locals could even suffer from hypothermia. Indeed, it takes less than seven minutes of exposure for an individual not dressed appropriately to succumb to these circumstances.
What is hypothermia?According to experts, hypothermia occurs when the human body temperature drops below 35°C. Normally, this happens because the victim has been exposed to intense cold.
Occasionally, hypothermia can also be triggered after alcohol consumption, as it affects the body's ability to regulate heat. And as you might expect, the consequences are not pleasant at all.
Losing faculties one by oneWhen hypothermia sets in, vital organs such as the heart and brain begin to malfunction. And because this process reduces blood circulation in the rest of the body, victims generally reach a state of shock.
As a result, this leads to even more complications such as kidney or liver failure very likely. But this failure can also reach the heart and even your airways, inevitably leading to death.
No discriminationMoreover, it is estimated that nearly 1,500 people in the United States die from hypothermia each year. Most people can survive moderate hypothermia (32-35°C), but it becomes very challenging in severe hypothermia when the temperature drops below 28°C.
And although the elderly and the very young are particularly vulnerable because the muscles in their hearts are generally weak, this condition can strike anyone. Even young, healthy, and fit men.
The body's defensesHowever, the human body has two defense mechanisms when it comes to hypothermia. First, when cold air touches us, blood is redirected inwards, away from the extremities, to create an insulating effect.
But on the other hand, this makes our extremities vulnerable to the cold. Then as the temperature begins to drop, we start to shiver and shudder - which is an effective way to generate heat.
Experts agree that the best way to combat hypothermia is to dress appropriately for the weather. In extremely cold conditions, this should include a wicking base layer for insulation on the bottom and a windproof outer layer.
Appropriate footwear is also recommended to prevent frostbite - an irreversible condition that freezes the skin and causes redness, swelling, and skin irritation.
Slim chances for JustinWith all this in mind, it seems that Justin actually had no chance of surviving when he decided to wander during that freezing night. Considering his light and regular attire, hypothermia likely set in quickly.
Moreover, Justin had a certain amount of alcohol in his system. However, these were precisely the circumstances that made Coleman think twice before declaring Justin's death.
The ParadoxColeman knew, you see, that hypothermia can actually save lives by slowing down chemical reactions in the human body. Essentially, such a development means that the brain doesn't require as much oxygen as usual - making survival more likely.
In fact, the phenomenon gave rise to a kind of slogan that the doctor repeated at Lehigh Valley Health Network. "You're not dead until you're warm and dead," he proclaimed.
PersistenceDespite Justin's lack of vital signs, Coleman instructed the on-site staff to start performing CPR before the young man was sent to the Hazleton center.
On-site, employees couldn't even get an accurate reading of his body temperature. Still, for two hours, the staff relentlessly tried to revive Justin.
EvacuationWith Justin hooked up to a ventilator, emergency room staff continued CPR on his lifeless body. And even though he was beginning to warm up, he remained inert.
Eventually, Coleman made a decision that completely defied logic. Instead of giving up on Justin, the team would send him to another center by helicopter.
Dr. Coleman's Instinct"Our minds are supposed to lead the dance - not our hearts. Because if your heart is in charge, you can run into trouble," explained Coleman, as per WPMT. "I threw all of that to the wind and said, 'No, not today.'"
Thus, in no time, Justin was on his way to Lehigh Valley Hospital’s Cedar Crest Center, which was an 18-minute helicopter ride from the hospital he was at. The race against time had begun.
A Glimpse of DoubtDuring the flight, the two medical employees also continued to perform CPR on Justin, although he didn't respond. In fact, nurse Tim Hickey, who was on board the helicopter that day, recalled doubting that Justin could make it.
"People in such situations don't survive," he later explained to Lehigh Valley Health Network. And it's hard to blame him for thinking that way considering Justin's seemingly hopeless condition.
Saving LivesBut the doctors were still very determined to save Justin's life. When the 26-year-old arrived at Cedar Crest, he was then handed over to Dr. James Wu, a specialist in cardiothoracic surgery.
Quickly, Wu concluded that a procedure called 'extracorporeal membrane oxygenation,' also known as ECMO, was the best option for the patient if he was to survive.
ECMOExperts say that during ECMO, cold blood is pumped and warmed before being reintroduced into the subject’s body. This activates artificial oxygenation of red cells and removes carbon dioxide.
And while this process is typically used for patients fighting very different conditions, Wu believed it could help Justin recover. Ultimately, the young man was hooked up to the ECMO machine.
50-50Despite everything, Wu remained skeptical about what could really happen. "I gave him a 50-50 shot at recovery," the doctor told Lehigh Valley Health Network.
Given those odds, he then warned Justin's family that they should also prepare for bad news. But after just an hour and a half, things began to change.
A Beating HeartFirst, Justin's body finally began to warm up. Then, quite incredibly, his heart started beating without external assistance. But at this stage, Justin was far from out of the woods.
Indeed, when John Castaldo, a neurologist at Cedar Crest, conducted an examination of the patient, he found that Justin had no brain activity. "There was very little hope for functional survival," Castaldo revealed to Lehigh Valley Health Network.
A Functioning BrainBut there was another surprise in store for the Lehigh Valley Hospital team. After a few days of treatment, Castaldo administered more tests on Justin - and this time, the results showed that his brain activity was normal.
"We were ecstatic," the neurologist admitted. "We felt what was happening right before our eyes was a true miracle." After a series of positive news, hope was reignited for the doctors and Justin's family.
A Long Road AheadNevertheless, Dr. Castaldo suspected that Justin might remain in a vegetative state. After all, his brain had been deprived of oxygen for a long period of time. It only takes about 10 minutes in general to declare brain death.
Usually, the damage starts after a minute and worsens gradually. "At first, Justin didn't have any awareness of his environment," the neurologist added in his interview with Lehigh Valley Health Network.
A Present FamilyMeanwhile, as days and weeks passed, Justin's family remained constantly by his side. Indeed, although Don and Justin's mother (Sissy) were divorced, the tragedy brought the former couple, as well as their daughters Sarah and Ashley, together once again.
In the face of the crisis they were going through, all members of Justin's family formed a united front. Justin was not alone. Eventually, Castaldo spotted the sign he had been waiting for.
Life in His EyesYes, as he examined Justin's eyes, Castaldo realized that the patient was actually following him with his gaze as he moved. And a month after Don found his son's lifeless body on a sidewalk, the young man finally woke up.
Miraculously, he had survived. Gradually, he regained his faculties, and today, Justin was alive and well. However, while Justin was conscious, the path to recovery was still long.
ConsequencesDue to the frostbite Justin had suffered, for example, doctors had to amputate all his toes and his pinky fingers on each hand. Justin's body also no longer functioned as well as before.
"It was very tough," he recounted in an interview with the BBC in 2018. "My muscles were frozen. I had to re-learn all the basics - how to tie my shoes and brush my teeth."
AmnesiaJustin soon realized he was also different on the inside. "My brain had also been affected. Although my memories were slowly coming back to me, initially I couldn't remember the previous years," he told the BBC.
In fact, to this day, he struggles to remember the details of the accident that nearly took his life. Some parts of his past remain hidden in a thick fog.
RehabilitationOver the next three months, Justin focused on his recovery, being transferred from Cedar Crest to the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
And eventually, he became the man he was before the accident. After some time, he learned how to play golf again; he also continued his degree at Penn State through online classes.
Eternal GratitudeA year later, Justin returned to Lehigh Valley Hospital to sincerely thank the people who had saved his life. "I am just very grateful," he announced to reporters as he hugged the nurses and doctors who had never given up.
"I am living proof of what can happen when fantastic people decide to work together." Justin’s gratitude towards the medical staff knew no bounds.
ConclusionIn the meantime, Coleman believes he learned a valuable lesson through his patient's miraculous recovery. "This case taught me that sometimes it's better to trust your gut instinct," he explained.
"Even when logic suggests otherwise." However, Justin's story should serve as a warning for those living in cold climates. When it's brutally cold outside, bundle up completely - and don't take chances.