1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Everybody. It's billboardy with an army, normal folks. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 2: And we continue now with part two of our conversation 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 2: with Pat Hardison. Right after these brief messages from our general. 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 3: Sponsors, Clay could tell you know, as upset. After the 5 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 3: second time, the doctor told me there wasn't nothing else 6 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 3: he could do, and we're headed home. And he said, 7 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 3: he said, you care if I email somebody and just 8 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 3: see about a face rosy And I said, no, I'm 9 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 3: up for whatever whatever we think we can do, just 10 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 3: to help me get my position better. He said, okay, 11 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 3: So he emailed doctor Rodriguez, who was in Baltimore at 12 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 3: that time. He sent him an email that night, and 13 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 3: next day doctor Riggus called me and he said, I'd 14 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 3: like to see if I can help you. And he said, 15 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 3: give me a medical records on the way up here 16 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 3: and I'll see what I can do. And it takes 17 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 3: about two weeks on medical records to get from Memphis 18 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 3: to Baltimore at this time, and doctor Rodriguez was doing 19 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 3: a seminar in New Orleans just on different surgeries and 20 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 3: plastic surgery and all that, and doctor Slimmy wind up 21 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 3: going to that seminar that doctor Rodrigus was doing. He 22 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 3: had no idea that I had talked to him about anything. 23 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 3: Oh no, kidding, no, not a bit. He didn't go 24 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 3: because because because it was a plastic surgery and you 25 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 3: know seminar, he wanted to go down there and do it. 26 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: So he had. 27 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,119 Speaker 3: He went down to the seminar and listened to it all, 28 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 3: and when it was over he wanted to Dr Drigus 29 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 3: and said, look, I got a patient I think you 30 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 3: could help. And he wrote my name on a card 31 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 3: and gave it to him. When Doctor Rodriguez got back 32 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 3: to his office after that, whatever long it took, he 33 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 3: was empty, his pockets out and stuff. And here's my 34 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 3: medical records that they had made it to his death 35 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 3: by this time. And the cards lined up and the 36 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 3: names were right there together. He said, this greatest thing 37 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 3: I've ever seen. This was in about twenty twelve by now, 38 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 3: and you were hurt on I was hurt in two 39 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 3: thousand and one. Pat eleven oh years, eleven years and 40 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 3: seven to something. 41 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 2: Surgeries, eleven years, seventy some surgeries. And you've built and 42 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 2: lost your business twice. You've built and lost a family twice. 43 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: You've built and lost homes twice, all because as a 44 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:40,119 Speaker 2: volunteer you went in a burning house because a man 45 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 2: was worried about his wife. 46 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 3: Definitely, I would definitely change some things if I could, 47 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 3: But at the end of the day, I'd still do 48 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 3: it again because. 49 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: That's what we love, what we do. It's just part 50 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: of it. You know. 51 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 3: I've been in one hundred burning buildings and never thought 52 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 3: anything would happen. 53 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: You know, when you hear the brief part about the 54 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 2: addiction to pain fills and the chaos that led to 55 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: a portion of your life after all that. But in hindsight, 56 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 2: I dare anybody to go through what you've gone through. 57 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: I wouldn't. 58 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 3: And the thing about it is it's I hated that life. 59 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 3: But I had listened to doctors tell me, hey, this 60 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 3: is part of your life. You're gonna have to take 61 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 3: this medication I've been through. I had been to doctors 62 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 3: try to help me, and they would. You know, it's 63 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 3: so much money made off of prescriptions and writing this 64 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 3: and writing that, and it's frustrating, but you know, everybody 65 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 3: talks about yeah, and I enjoyed that. I didn't enjoy 66 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 3: taking them. I didn't want to take them. I thought 67 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 3: I had to once I learned that I could live 68 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 3: without them, and I'm good. 69 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: Okay, So Rodriguez has your doctor's card and your medical 70 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 2: records after this meeting, and this is two. 71 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: Thousand something like that in that area, Yeah, I got you. 72 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 2: I've been close enough to get an idea of the timeline, 73 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 2: and Doctor Dredriguez at that point says, okay, I gotta 74 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 2: get touch of pat. 75 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 3: So they slim me up there, which I've got working 76 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 3: with cop. They didn't since you're a volunteer. I didn't 77 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 3: get paid a salary, but they do cover all my medical. 78 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 2: One other question before we go from this point forward. 79 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 2: I've thought about it and I didn't have hesitated, but 80 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 2: I'm gonna ask it. You're trying to live a life 81 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: in the midst of all these twelve years. Yeah, normal, 82 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 2: you got to go to Walmart. You are a man 83 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 2: who has a family and built a business in places 84 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: taxes and as part of the community and coaches kids 85 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 2: in baseball and were hurt serving your community in volunteer capacity. 86 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: Yet I've got to believe you felt a little bit 87 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 2: like a prior because there had to have been some 88 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 2: awful stairs. 89 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 3: Oh it still is. I mean, it's it's every day. 90 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 3: Like I said, when I tell you you had to 91 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 3: get up every day and prepare yourself, just like you 92 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 3: know when I I had been after one of my surgeries, 93 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 3: I had to wear that pressure mask on. 94 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: What's a pressure mask? 95 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 3: So it's just once they they had done something to 96 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:16,919 Speaker 3: my neck or something and I had to It's a 97 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 3: whole mask that covers you got out holes, you got 98 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 3: a mouth hole, and got tool holes that he knows 99 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 3: that I had the mask on. So I'm sitting there 100 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,720 Speaker 3: and this time, you know, I'm still this is early 101 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 3: in the game. This is probably two thousand and two. 102 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 3: I'm just just barely driving again. And my mom goes 103 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 3: want me to I had to go to physcal therapy 104 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 3: every day. So I drive out to Lakeland, Tennessee to 105 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 3: my physical therapist and come back and I had to 106 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 3: go by the bank and I go through the drive through, 107 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 3: and my mom's in the passion seat of the car 108 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 3: with me, and I pull up to the drive through 109 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 3: and all of a sudden, there's cops with gun pointing at. 110 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: Me the drive through. This is your hometown. 111 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 3: And as soon as John Boyd, he's the assistant chief 112 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 3: at this time the police, and I knew I'll hang 113 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 3: around with these guys. As soon as he saw me, 114 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 3: he just put his head down trying to walk off. 115 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 3: When not ness he could say, because he knew it 116 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 3: was all just a crazy thing. 117 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: But and he was probably embarrassed. 118 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 3: I'm sure, but he was doing what he you know, 119 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 3: the lady and find out the bank had been robbed 120 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 3: like a week two weeks before. But I told him 121 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 3: I always I make jokes about it. Now. I told 122 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 3: one lady, I said, look, I was gonna robb a bank. 123 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 3: I won't do it through the draft or a bulletproof glass. 124 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 3: And come on, not that stupid. Oh my gosh. Without 125 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 3: this stuff like that happened every day. It was it 126 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 3: was something every day do to your psyche. Oh you 127 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 3: just it's it's unreal. You just do a lot of 128 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 3: praying and you know, just trying to find how to 129 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 3: get through each day, literally one day at a time. 130 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 2: That's what you have to do. It has to be demoralizing, yeh. 131 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 2: But there you are fighting your ass off to survive. 132 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 3: And in two thousand and twelve, when doctor Rodriguez called 133 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 3: me my workman's kind of gives me a ticket and 134 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 3: I start going to Baltimore, life starts getting somewhat better. 135 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 3: I start going through all this stuff to find out 136 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 3: if I'm a candidate for a face transplant. So I 137 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 3: go through about a year worth of testing, going back 138 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 3: and forth Baltimore every once a month or so. All 139 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 3: this is government funded. It's actually the help wounded warriors 140 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 3: because there's so much suicide with veterans. Ninety seven percent 141 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 3: of the people that have facial injury like man commit suicide. 142 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 3: That's just they can't deal with it. And I understand that. 143 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: They can't deal with the pain this life. 144 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 3: It's everything physically, emotional, everything. So the last stage of 145 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 3: this is doctor Rodriguez has to come down. He and 146 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 3: his team are a few members of his team come down 147 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 3: and see if I have a good home life. Because 148 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 3: this is there. Shudn't spend about two million dollars on me. 149 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 3: So he comes down and we had a big crawfish 150 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 3: cooking at the firehouse and he met all my family 151 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 3: and he's getting ready to leave on that Sunday. He'd 152 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 3: been there all weekend and he said, look, I got 153 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 3: to talk to you about Someone said what you got done? 154 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 3: He said, I have been offered the chair of plastic 155 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 3: surgery at NYU. He said, I'm dedicated to you. I 156 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 3: told you i'd stay with you to get this done. 157 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 3: If you want to stay at Baltimore, we'll stay there, 158 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 3: he said. But what I think we should do is 159 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 3: go to NYU. He said, I need about six months 160 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 3: to get set up, and once I get set up, 161 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 3: you can come up there and we'll get the ball 162 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,679 Speaker 3: rolling again. So he got to New York and about 163 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 3: six months later I get there. This is twenty thirteen. 164 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 3: By now, I thought all the testing would carry over. 165 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: It didn't. 166 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 3: I had to start all the testing all back over. 167 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 3: So a whole another year of doing the same thing 168 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 3: I've just done all again. So this time I finally 169 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:47,559 Speaker 3: get through. 170 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 2: And meanwhile, because you don't have valads, you're worried about 171 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 2: going blind. 172 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, and so this time in twenty fourteen, that's when 173 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 3: I get listed in August or twenty fourteen, telling me, look, 174 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 3: it'll probably be you've got to old positive blood type, 175 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 3: so we can get you a match pretty quick, probably 176 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 3: during the holiday season because there's so many people in 177 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 3: New York. Just get your bag backed and be ready. 178 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:14,959 Speaker 1: I wondered this when reading about this. 179 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 2: With kidneys and hearts and other type of transplants. Obviously 180 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 2: they're waiting for a blood match. But you know, age 181 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 2: and all of that. What are the requirements or what? 182 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,839 Speaker 1: I don't even know. I mean, it's for a face 183 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: so much. You know, they want. 184 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 3: Somebody in the twenties, and they want to try to 185 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,559 Speaker 3: get somebody that's got the same hair type as you 186 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,320 Speaker 3: and blood type. It's so it's a way of my head. 187 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 2: I don't know what, but I mean it's that's got 188 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 2: to be I guess, get your bag packed and be 189 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 2: ready to go, because there that has to be a 190 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 2: I guess what I'm saying is that has to be. 191 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:59,559 Speaker 1: Very very very very specific. 192 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 3: It's I can't explain it. It's it's unreal. So I 193 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 3: start in August of fourteen, thinking this today, the day, tomorrow, 194 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 3: other day, waiting for the call, waiting, we're gonna go backpacked, 195 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,319 Speaker 3: we'll go through the holidays. Not a call first of 196 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 3: the year, not a call. Come around March. It was 197 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 3: around March I get a call. Doctor Driguez said, look, 198 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,319 Speaker 3: we've got a possible match. We're gonna go ahead and 199 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 3: get you up here and we'll go from there. So 200 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 3: we'd already had it planned that they had a private 201 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 3: jet picked me up in Batesville, flying me to New York. Well, 202 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 3: a buddy of mine, Bill, who's in the book a Lot, 203 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 3: he says he's going with me. So he be Smith's 204 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 3: airport with his backpack. We had to stop at Meridian. 205 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 3: We landed at Meridian and picked up my sister because 206 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 3: she wanted to go too. So my brother's in Indianapolis, 207 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 3: so he met us up there. So we get there. 208 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 3: This is We flew out of Bay around five o'clock, 209 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,319 Speaker 3: so this is about eight eight thirty nine o'clock. And uh, 210 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,199 Speaker 3: we get to we get to New York. There a 211 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 3: board and they have us go to this little hotel 212 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 3: type thing. They have us sitting up there at the 213 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 3: hotel and they're talking to us and and uh, I 214 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 3: which I can't sleep. 215 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: I'm pumped. 216 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 3: I'm thinking just this to happen. So Bill and I 217 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 3: go out walking around. We walked, walked down and walked 218 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 3: to this McDonald's business. I'm going to get some ice cream. 219 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 3: This is eleven and twelve o'clock at night. He got 220 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,839 Speaker 3: one in McDonald's. Their ice cream machines don't work either, 221 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 3: they didn't have any ice cream for them, so we 222 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 3: just kept walking. Well, we make that joke a lot. 223 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 3: All McDonald's ice cream machines broke. 224 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 2: They advertised it. How many millions of dollars they spend 225 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 2: advertising ice cream. 226 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:41,239 Speaker 1: No ice cream. 227 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:44,679 Speaker 3: Machine down and comes Finn Not some of the time, 228 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 3: it's just because the workers haven't cleaned the machines, right, 229 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,439 Speaker 3: So we walk around some mover. They called me and say, look, 230 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 3: you got to come down to the hospital and do 231 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 3: some lab work. So I go down and do lab work. 232 00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 3: About thirty minutes later, they called me back, said you 233 00:11:58,000 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 3: got to come back and do more lab work. And 234 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 3: I told Bill, I said, I ain't. It's it's gonna 235 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:03,719 Speaker 3: be a no go. I said, I got met like 236 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 3: somebody wrong. I knew something wrong. And they called us 237 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:09,319 Speaker 3: about two thirty three o'clock. I want to say, yeah, 238 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 3: this this didn't work. You all go ahead and hang 239 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 3: out here for a couple weekends or so and go 240 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 3: home on Sunday afternoons. We stayed there a couple of 241 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 3: days and just kind of relaxed and left went home. Waited, 242 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 3: waited and waited. Got another call in July they said 243 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:29,199 Speaker 3: we got another match. It was his Panic guy, and 244 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 3: well it wasn't crazy about it, but I was to 245 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 3: the point man waited almost a year. I'm thinking, man, 246 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 3: just whatever, let's get it over with. But the family 247 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 3: wouldn't give consent. Thank goodness they didn't, because it was 248 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 3: it wouldn't have it wouldn't have been right. 249 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: So we'll get a call in August. 250 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 2: Can I interrupt you one time here right here before 251 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 2: we get to this next call. People hearing this need 252 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 2: to understand that, even with all of the work that's 253 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 2: going on, this is a highly risky. 254 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 3: I mean fifty fifty chance. They already told me, you 255 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 3: get chance of living, of living through it, they did. 256 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 3: They did one patient in France and he got infection, died. 257 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:14,719 Speaker 3: That's the only other time that's been attempted with the full. 258 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, let's start forget I mean a full face. And 259 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 2: the only other person that ever tried it died. 260 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 3: And they told me that all was that in the beginning. 261 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 3: But I never had a fear of done. Even in 262 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 3: one of the interviews they had asked about that. 263 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: I said it. 264 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,199 Speaker 3: He said, you know, we're not hunt centure. It's gonna work. 265 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:34,839 Speaker 3: I said, it'll work. I had all that faith. It's 266 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,439 Speaker 3: God had put this. He had lined up so much stuff. 267 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 3: By this time, I'm starting to see everything God doing 268 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 3: in my life, and I know all this has happened 269 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 3: for a reason. So many years I didn't understand, but 270 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 3: it's it's all lining up now. So in August we 271 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 3: get the call and it's been a year, and I 272 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 3: called Bill. I said, look, they called me about coming 273 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 3: up here. I said, I've already had two thought runs. Well, 274 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 3: one thought run and another college didn't work out. I said, 275 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 3: it's probably're not gonna work. He said, Pat, I'm seven 276 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 3: hours away. He's a truck driver. He was out of town. 277 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 3: I said, don't worry about it. You can come up there. 278 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 3: If something happens and this I go, you can come 279 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 3: up later. And I called him my sister and I said, 280 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 3: look they called him and come up there. But I'm 281 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 3: not even gonna stop and pick here. She said, oh yeah, yeah. 282 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 3: I said, now I'm gonna going. She said, no, you's 283 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 3: stopping and picking me up. 284 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: It may be. 285 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 3: So we stopped and ready and picked her up. And 286 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 3: as soon as we landed the plane, doctor Rodriguez at 287 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 3: the airport and he said, it's one hundred percent. Go, 288 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 3: We're going he said, go. This is four star clot 289 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 3: in afternoon, he says, go and get you a good 290 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 3: dinner and then come check check into the hospital about 291 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 3: eight or nine o'clock. So we went to Wolfgangs and 292 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 3: had to stay, and then I got to the hospital 293 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 3: and checked in and had to do all the pre 294 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 3: surgery stuff. Got all that done, and they came down 295 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 3: about five am. Wheeled me down, and twenty six hours 296 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 3: later I was done with that surgery, but I had 297 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 3: a vain rupture or something. They had to go into 298 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 3: another eight hours burgency type surgery. 299 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: We'll be right back. 300 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 2: They've literally remove what's left of your original face and 301 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 2: put a new face with lips and ears. 302 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 3: I see some of the comments on a lot of 303 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 3: social media and people, you know, some people are positive. 304 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 3: Some people are saying, man, that's so crazy that I 305 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 3: can't imagine even doing that. And I get it, but 306 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 3: we got to remember the face is just a organ, 307 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 3: just like your heart, kidneys and everything else. I do 308 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 3: whatever just to see my babies or my grandbabies. It 309 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 3: was no brain for me. 310 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: Twenty six hours of surgery. 311 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 3: Our surgery of twenty six hours and then they had 312 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 3: to go back in and do another eight hour surgery. 313 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 3: They left the back of my head open, so it 314 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 3: was tucked down beside because they knew when I laid 315 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 3: my head back on a pillow. That's how the other 316 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 3: patient died. He laid his head on a pillow and 317 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 3: it got infection. That's the only part of my head 318 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 3: that didn't get burned. What the slap of my helmet 319 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 3: was coming. So I could lay my head off just 320 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 3: a pillow. And they went in about ten days later 321 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 3: and then stitched it all up. 322 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: Why would they I don't understand why they left it open. 323 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 3: I don't left they didn't attach it to my skin. 324 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 3: That's the only part of my body that wasn't burning. 325 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 3: It's part here in my hair. That's what I had. 326 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 3: And then they left it open so I could lay 327 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 3: my head back and not laying on a pillow. 328 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: No kidding from getting. 329 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 3: Infection because you're such a high risk for infection. Was 330 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 3: it painful? Of course? I had told the physical therapist. 331 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 3: You know, I was talking all big shot, and you know, 332 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 3: I said, look, it doesn't I don't care whatever you 333 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 3: got to do. When I'm when they tell you to 334 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 3: come get me up moving around. You come get me 335 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 3: up moving around, no matter what I tell you. And 336 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 3: it seemed like it was a few hours after surgery, 337 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 3: which it was days, and they came in. I was 338 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 3: trying to get up therapy, and I thought, my gosh, 339 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:06,160 Speaker 3: if this guy touches me, because I didn't want to move. 340 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 3: I just wanted to play there. I couldn't go through 341 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 3: that thing again. Ever i'd got up. I'm still blind. 342 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 3: Everything's fallen like you know, I can't talk, my eyes 343 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 3: are falling shut. And after this is two or three days, 344 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 3: they take me down and set me on a bicycle. 345 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 3: First day down, I rode five miles on the OA 346 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 3: like I was just because I knew my kids were coming, 347 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:31,400 Speaker 3: you know, I got I got five kids by this time. 348 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 3: I had another son in two thousand and three and 349 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 3: one in two thousand and four. And they have never 350 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 3: seen me anyway, but after my accident, they didn't. They 351 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 3: didn't know me before maccident, so you know, my all 352 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 3: i'd seen pictures. They saw a picture, but that was it, 353 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 3: so they didn't know. And my youngest son, he'd saidad, 354 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 3: how are we going? How am I going to over you? 355 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 3: I said, but if you have any doubt, dis close 356 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 3: your eyes and when I talk to you, understand me. 357 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,360 Speaker 3: So I knew I had to get better. When they come, 358 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 3: I didn't. I didn't want them to be scared of me. 359 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 3: You don't have any kind of fear, and they didn't. 360 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 3: I mean, so I was right. I went through physical 361 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 3: therapy every day. They taught me how to do everything. 362 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 3: I had to learn how to swallow again, how to talk. 363 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: Whoa, whoa? Why did you have to learn how to 364 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 1: swallow again? 365 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,640 Speaker 3: Because it messages with all those muscles in your you know, 366 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 3: in your neck and stuff the surgery around them. You 367 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 3: had to learn how to do everything. Talk I had learned. 368 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 3: I also swollen. I couldn't talk. 369 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: But then you have to learn how to use those 370 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: muscles and nerves. 371 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 3: Again, everything everything from my neck up. I had to 372 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 3: learn how to do it all over again. 373 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: Was it numb feeling? 374 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 3: It was just real tingling, real swollen feeling. You just 375 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:37,719 Speaker 3: feel like you got just like you've been bit by 376 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:39,679 Speaker 3: a bee on your lip or something. It's just swollen, 377 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 3: real big. But after a few days it starts going down, 378 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 3: starts going down, just kept it keeps getting better every day, 379 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 3: but it just it was just different. 380 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: So how long did you have to stay in New York? 381 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 3: I stayed in the hospital about thirty days, and then 382 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 3: I went to an apartment. 383 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:57,640 Speaker 1: Up there while you still do therapy there. 384 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,439 Speaker 3: I stayed there about another thirty forty five there when 385 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 3: my kids wound up coming to New York the first 386 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 3: of October, I guess, so I got to say it 387 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,120 Speaker 3: for the first time in October. 388 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 1: They had lunch two and a half months. 389 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,439 Speaker 3: Yeah, they came and had lunch and stayed with me, 390 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:14,560 Speaker 3: you know, a few days, and it was pretty good. 391 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:17,400 Speaker 2: What was your reaction the first time you ever saw 392 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,160 Speaker 2: yourself in the mirror with your new fast you. 393 00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:21,640 Speaker 3: Know, they had they had told me that I would 394 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 3: be blind for like six months. I said, your eyes 395 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 3: the muscles had to have time to attach. You probably 396 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 3: won't be able to see who your muscles have as 397 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 3: they had to attach the new the donors uh alids 398 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 3: to my muscles because I still had all my muscles. 399 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 3: That was just they had to put the skin on 400 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:38,879 Speaker 3: my own mask stuff. 401 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 1: So, so were your eyes bandaged or they were? 402 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 3: They were just they just kept vasselaining the stuff in 403 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:46,680 Speaker 3: them to keep them moist so they wouldn't. 404 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 2: But were the eyelids across the eyes or they just 405 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 2: were bandaged so you could. 406 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:53,919 Speaker 3: Well it was well, they didn't have bandage, they just 407 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 3: had it like all kinds of chemicals. And was it 408 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 3: because I couldn't open them? They were just just like 409 00:19:58,400 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 3: I had my eyes closed. I guess they were just 410 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 3: loll and shut. And did you think it was Nobody 411 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 3: wants to be blonde, you know, if you can help it. 412 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 3: I don't really remember because it wasn't like six or 413 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 3: seven days. And when doctor Driggs came in my came 414 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 3: in the room one day, he got right up in 415 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 3: my face. I could feel him close to him, I 416 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 3: couldn't see him, and he said, Patrick, I want you 417 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 3: to try really hard to open your eyes. And when 418 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 3: I did open him, they told me like six months. 419 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 3: And I'd opened my eyes after about six or seven 420 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 3: days and he stepped back and which just I mean, 421 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 3: I can't see because it's so blurry, and he was like, 422 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 3: I cannot believe that the anxiety had worked after this 423 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 3: short time. And after that it was just getting better, 424 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 3: you know, continue to get better and get better and 425 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 3: get better. 426 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 2: So I'm dying to know you you have to be 427 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 2: thinking what do I look like? 428 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: What do I look like? 429 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 3: I mean, but you know, they were telling me the 430 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,360 Speaker 3: whole time. They kept telling me, look, you're all swollen. 431 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 3: You can't You're not You're going to look different than this. 432 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: It did. 433 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:07,880 Speaker 3: It was I was hooling, but it was better because 434 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 3: I had a nose, I had ears, I had a mouth, 435 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 3: you know, I had all the stuff that I had lost, 436 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 3: had hair again, and I could even grow a beard. 437 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 3: You know. 438 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: It was just it was, it was better. 439 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 3: And as the time went on, I think I got 440 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:24,159 Speaker 3: back home by Thanksgiving, and it was just getting you know, 441 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 3: getting back used to everything on the daily at home, 442 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 3: and life started getting better. I started after going back 443 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 3: to New York Enthough therapy after several months in twenty 444 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 3: sixteent I bought a vehicle again. I hadn't been hadn't 445 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 3: drove in five or six years. So I was able 446 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 3: to start driving again, you know, and do things. I 447 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 3: got my independency back, and it was so much better, 448 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 3: so much better. In twenty sixteen, I had called. It 449 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 3: was right at Christmas. 450 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:54,360 Speaker 1: I called. 451 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:56,920 Speaker 3: I was looked out. I said, I've been taking pain 452 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 3: meds again for about a little over a year. I said, 453 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 3: I'm getting to the point where I'll get up in 454 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 3: the morning and take it automatically. Why they don't even 455 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 3: need it, I said, we got to do something. And 456 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 3: I knew that I couldn't quit on my own, because 457 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 3: it ain't the part of not quitting. But it's the 458 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 3: part that you get so sick. I mean, it's just 459 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 3: like it's a sickness that i'veen. You mean, when you 460 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 3: put them down, when you put them down, you get 461 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 3: so sick. He said, I'll tell you what he said. 462 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 3: Come up here the twenty six he said, the day 463 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 3: after Christmas, come up here, and I'm going to put 464 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 3: you in the hospital and we're going to get you 465 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,360 Speaker 3: off of them. But without you're getting sick. And that's 466 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 3: what they did. And I got home that January and 467 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 3: hadn't took a pain pill since, thank God, thank God. 468 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 2: So to me, that new year of twenty seventeen is 469 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 2: when life is reborn for you. Yeah, must think out 470 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:51,120 Speaker 2: of face, you're off the pain, meads my son. 471 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: This accident happened in. 472 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 3: Two thousand and one, sixteen years and then for the 473 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 3: first time, my two youngest sons, my older kids are 474 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 3: older now my two youngest sons and one of their 475 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 3: friends loaded up my truck and took off about two 476 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,199 Speaker 3: weeks and drove out to Montana, Wyoming and just went 477 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 3: all the two Yellowstone and everything, and it was just 478 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 3: such a good feeling. 479 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 1: It was awesome. 480 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 3: After my accident, I mean after my train plant in 481 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 3: twenty sixteen, my whole family went to Disney World. That 482 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:26,439 Speaker 3: was the first That was the first vacation that that 483 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 3: we had had in twelve thirteen years with everybody together. 484 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,640 Speaker 1: It was just it was great, what's Pat's life now? 485 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:39,160 Speaker 3: Taking care of my grandbabies and I don't have any restrictions, 486 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 3: you know. 487 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 1: I went. 488 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 3: I went like seven or eight years with no problem 489 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 3: at all, no rejection episode, no issues at all in 490 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,119 Speaker 3: COVID hit. So I quit going to New York. My 491 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 3: doctor basically became eer doctors. They were working on patients 492 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 3: that were dying of COVID in New York. So I 493 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 3: was getting my lab done here and doctor Bagwell and Hernando. 494 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:07,120 Speaker 3: I went to see him and he said, Pat, something wrong. 495 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 3: He said, your face is all swollen. He said, we 496 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 3: need to call you doctor, And I called doctor Rodriguez 497 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 3: and he said, well, all your labs look good. By 498 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,360 Speaker 3: this time my trance last dying, it's coming apart where 499 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 3: they sold me together and he said something wrong. So 500 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 3: they sent my lab work to UCLA in California, and 501 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 3: they found out that my body's building antibodies. Why it 502 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:32,919 Speaker 3: started that, they don't know because this is all research. 503 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,120 Speaker 3: It's they're learning as they go, just like everybody else. 504 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: And now you're a little bit of a guinea pig here. Yeah. 505 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 3: So one night my son was working at Coolmo Steakhouse. 506 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 3: My two boys were living with me at this time, 507 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 3: and he had got home by midnight and I was 508 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 3: sitting in my recliner at the house and he had 509 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 3: walked in. He was tired, he had been working late, 510 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 3: and he went to sleep on the couch. Well, I 511 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 3: just stayed in my recliner. I want to sleep. And 512 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 3: about two o'clock in the morning, I felt something my 513 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:01,400 Speaker 3: shirt one thirty two o'clock when. 514 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: I thought something warm all of me, and I said, 515 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: what in the world? 516 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 3: Look down and I had on a white T shirt 517 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:10,160 Speaker 3: and my whole shirt read blood. I touched my neck 518 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 3: and I ordered the auter right here at ruptured and 519 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,880 Speaker 3: I'm praying blood out everywhere looked like a murder scene 520 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 3: in my house. So I get over there and wake 521 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,120 Speaker 3: my son up. Of course he's scared to death because 522 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 3: he took him a minute to wake up. 523 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:24,520 Speaker 1: I looked at it. 524 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:26,479 Speaker 3: I said, Song, get up, I need you down now 525 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 3: on one and he's, oh, what is and he was 526 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:31,920 Speaker 3: just sleeping on I said, Braden, get up, and he 527 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:34,399 Speaker 3: looked at me out of shock, and he saw the blood. 528 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:36,120 Speaker 1: He was like, dear God, what is it? 529 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 3: And this uter ad ruptured and uh so the anilets 530 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 3: get said, and I thought I was sasting down it, 531 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 3: and I thawt some bleed death in order that. 532 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: It was. I thought I was. 533 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 3: I just started getting dizzy and I got to the bathroom. 534 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 3: I mean, I'm taking big bath towels and putting on 535 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 3: my neck and they're soaked in blood. Just I mean, 536 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:58,200 Speaker 3: I'm I'm bleeding by lot. And I get to to 537 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:00,239 Speaker 3: get the amblets out there and they loved me up. 538 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:03,199 Speaker 3: And I get to the er there in seatogia thing 539 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 3: guy doctor Johnson, and he put the civil nitrits stick 540 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:06,479 Speaker 3: on it. 541 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: Well it stopped, and. 542 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 3: He said, look, you need to get to New York 543 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 3: to see your doctors. 544 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:12,360 Speaker 1: He said. 545 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 3: I got to bleed and stop. He said, don't do 546 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 3: anything strenuous when. 547 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 1: You get home. So letting me go home. I'll get home. 548 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 3: Sit there, I'm sitting there, inclined, just sitting there, not 549 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 3: even hardly moving. Then all of a sudden, I've been 550 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 3: down picked up so on's floor and I heard it 551 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,720 Speaker 3: just like popped again and it started praying again. So 552 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:31,719 Speaker 3: I just grabbed the towel, put over it and holding it. 553 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:33,679 Speaker 3: I told my son is all right, driving me down 554 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 3: to the R. I got back down to the R 555 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 3: and he did it again, but he couldn't get it 556 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,880 Speaker 3: stopped this time. He said, look, we got to transport 557 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:43,639 Speaker 3: you to the med again. They're gonna have to do 558 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 3: something to fix it. And so I get They get 559 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 3: me transported to the med. I go in there and 560 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 3: see their doctor had to sit in there er for 561 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,480 Speaker 3: twenty four hours. And they get me to a room 562 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 3: and this nurse. By this time it had stopped bleeding. 563 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,920 Speaker 3: And this nurse comes in and she said, what do 564 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:04,439 Speaker 3: you When I said, I got a line on my 565 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:06,920 Speaker 3: neck audium of inactive blaeding, she said, I ain't that bad. 566 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:09,879 Speaker 3: And about that time it popped and started wearing blood, 567 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,359 Speaker 3: and she had walked out and Chris was wasn't she 568 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:14,959 Speaker 3: had called she said, come, she said, come in here, 569 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 3: he's bleeding again. She walked in her rest low and 570 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 3: she looked down at the blood. Already everyone, she said, 571 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 3: And they called his team in and they cold colded 572 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 3: me then, which I wasn't all the alert. I wasn't 573 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 3: dying enough. And uh they got they got the bleeding stop. 574 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:31,440 Speaker 3: They had to wind up doing the plastic surgery and 575 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,360 Speaker 3: putting had going in there and t tyler vein off 576 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:37,159 Speaker 3: and then do a skin graph on it. Luckily, one 577 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 3: of the doctors in Memphis was a resident for doctor Rodriguez, 578 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 3: so they could you're kidding, so they could talk and 579 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 3: he told them exactly what to do and that that 580 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,720 Speaker 3: that plastic surgeon here did it like it wasn't nothing 581 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,360 Speaker 3: to do it. One my trampler started dying. I lost 582 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:54,239 Speaker 3: half my ear, That's what it started dying. That's why 583 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 3: all the spots on my face. I was, what'd they 584 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 3: do to make that stop? I have to go everything 585 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 3: over six months. I have to go back to New 586 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,680 Speaker 3: York and do like platinum Esia's treatments, like a Canter 587 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,359 Speaker 3: patient that they put a line in my chest and 588 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 3: then at for east side, all the antibodies decide to 589 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 3: go very every five months and do like ten treatments. 590 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:19,880 Speaker 1: We'll be right back. 591 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 2: So eighty percent of folks with physical deformities and functional 592 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 2: definite deficits are depressed. 593 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 3: Oh and everybody's got some type of depression. I don't 594 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 3: know who you are well. 595 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 2: And you also said what percent of people that have 596 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 2: a facial thing commit suicide? 597 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 3: And so is what that's worse? Several years ago, you know, 598 00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:01,480 Speaker 3: we had twenty two veterans a day commit suicide with injuries. 599 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: Army and normal folks. 600 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 2: Your story is an incredible story of resilience. But let's 601 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:15,040 Speaker 2: go back and remind everybody. Young dude grows up a good, 602 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 2: average North Mississippi life, starts, his business, gets married, having families, 603 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 2: is volunteering first community when this massive ordeal that's now 604 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:30,239 Speaker 2: a twenty something year ordeal starts. And your story is 605 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 2: really about resilience in the face of unbelievable obstacles, given hope. 606 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 2: And then you write a book and it's called Facing 607 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 2: the Fire and the subtitle is the true story of 608 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,960 Speaker 2: a firefighter a face transplant in the fight to keep 609 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 2: living and I think the most important part of your story, 610 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 2: in my opinion, is not all that happened and but 611 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 2: you've earned and lost and earned and lost and earned 612 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 2: back again. It's that you want to use some of 613 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:13,040 Speaker 2: the horrors of what you've been through as a result 614 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 2: of volunteering. You're fine for your community to inspire others 615 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 2: to have the courage to face there far. 616 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, hopefully so. 617 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,160 Speaker 2: So I want to give you an open mic for 618 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 2: just a few minutes at the end here to encourage 619 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 2: those listening dust because you just said it. I was 620 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 2: going to say it. You took my line right out 621 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 2: of my mouth. It is perfect. I said, eighty percent 622 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,000 Speaker 2: of people you know with deformities face depression, and you 623 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 2: said everything everybody does. 624 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 3: I mean, life is hard. You know, I got young 625 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 3: kids that are young adults now, and it's just life 626 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 3: is hard. It's one of my favorite movies is A 627 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 3: Lonesome Dove, you know when Robert d. Vaals, isn't that 628 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 3: movie you expect too much out of Like you're setting 629 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 3: yourself up with disappointment. And that's the truth, because I 630 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,600 Speaker 3: actually so much out of life, and I thought I 631 00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 3: had it all planned out, and you know, at the 632 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 3: end of the day, I didn't have it all planned 633 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 3: out well. I thought really meant nothing. It didn't matter. 634 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 3: All the nice stuff, all the money you make, it 635 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 3: without your family and things like that, it all means nothing. 636 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 1: So here's the deal. 637 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 2: If eighty percent of us face depression, we're all facing 638 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 2: some kind of fire in our lives. Do you so 639 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 2: talk about the book and what you want to inspire 640 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 2: people to believe. 641 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 3: I want people to read the book and understand that 642 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 3: they can keep hope and never lose hope, you know, always, 643 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 3: you know, find that higher power in you, you know mine. 644 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 3: I have a big faith in God. Now I look 645 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 3: back and I think there's so many things that He 646 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 3: lined up in my life that I never would have 647 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 3: never would have imagined. I never looked and thought my 648 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,000 Speaker 3: life would be where it's at today, And even before 649 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 3: my accident, you know, I didn't think that. But we're all, 650 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 3: every single one of us, just one accident or one 651 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:05,480 Speaker 3: bad decision away from a totally different life. It's all 652 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:09,440 Speaker 3: of us. Whenever that happens, and whatever trials or tribulations 653 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 3: you face in life, just keep the hope, you know, 654 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 3: find out how power, pray to God, and just ask 655 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 3: them to help you. 656 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 1: That's all you can do. 657 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 2: When I hear you, you have spoken on them fifteen 658 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 2: different times, and the time we've had together, you've said 659 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 2: something about your children and your grandchildren. For those out 660 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 2: there dealing with depression and contemplating suicide or dealing with 661 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 2: friends or family in the same situation, what was it 662 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 2: that what was your inspiration to keep fighting? 663 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:44,959 Speaker 3: Man? Was my kids and my family, you know. And 664 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 3: it's at the end of the day, we all have 665 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:52,000 Speaker 3: to have that one little happy thing in life that 666 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 3: we look forward to every day, no matter what it is. 667 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,480 Speaker 3: No matter if it's going to dinner with your buddies 668 00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 3: and sitting around laughing at the table, watching kids play ball, 669 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:04,240 Speaker 3: or sitting there playing a video game. We all need 670 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 3: that one little happy place. There's got to be something 671 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 3: in your life that you enjoy to do. If it's not, 672 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 3: find it whatever that happy thing is that and cherish it. 673 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 3: Whether it's a spouse or a loved one, kids, grandkids, 674 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 3: your pet, it doesn't matter. Just whatever that you there's 675 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 3: everybody has something that they enjoy. 676 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 1: Are you back hanging out with the firefighters? I saw them. 677 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 1: I've got some. 678 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 3: It's changed so much now some of my budgets and firefighters, 679 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 3: and I do talk to them a lot and stuff, 680 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 3: but it's a lot of times I don't have time 681 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,120 Speaker 3: because I you know, I keep my grandson a lot, 682 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 3: and I spend a lot of time with him, and 683 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 3: I just enjoy that. I take my granddaughter to school 684 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 3: every morning that she's with her dad, and and that's 685 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,720 Speaker 3: my happy place. We go to told ones to get breakfast, 686 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 3: and that's just what I enjoy doing. 687 00:33:55,320 --> 00:34:00,959 Speaker 2: Incredible story Facing the Fire by Pat Hardison, Rose Pro Publishing. 688 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 2: The cover of this book is astounding. It is you 689 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 2: in your I guess you're like official address, uniformity, traditional 690 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 2: fire department deal before the accident, and your face is 691 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 2: burned off the page. 692 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:25,759 Speaker 1: What was your reaction when you saw the cover? 693 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:28,319 Speaker 3: Oh, Kevin Biss did a wonderful job on it. He 694 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:30,799 Speaker 3: gave me three or four different options to choose from. 695 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:32,680 Speaker 3: And once I saw that one, I knew that was it. 696 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 3: There wasn't another one that was it. That was the cover. 697 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 4: Alex, Yeah, A couple of quick things I love to cover. 698 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:41,800 Speaker 4: There's a weird part of your story that nine to 699 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 4: eleven happened while you're in the hospital. 700 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 3: I've been in the hospital six days when nine to eleven. 701 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:50,799 Speaker 4: Happened, And how did you process all that experiences? 702 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:51,400 Speaker 1: Well, I didn't. 703 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,800 Speaker 3: It's it's weird because you know, I'm still all bandaged 704 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 3: up and can't see anything. And it was several months 705 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,400 Speaker 3: later before they cut a little pinhole and because they 706 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:04,839 Speaker 3: had to cover everything up, let it heal boy cut 707 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 3: a little pinhole and bore. 708 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 1: I lived. 709 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,400 Speaker 3: So even everybody talked to me about nine to eleven 710 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:16,760 Speaker 3: and how terrible it was. I didn't understand how terrible 711 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:20,000 Speaker 3: it truly was until I could see it. And then 712 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 3: once once I saw it, I was like, my gosh, 713 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,279 Speaker 3: those people went through a literally a living hell. 714 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 2: And oddly you probably had a real understanding of what 715 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 2: some of those guys went through. 716 00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:35,360 Speaker 3: To a certain point. I did, but it's just I 717 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:39,400 Speaker 3: couldn't imagine that. What And even still now that I 718 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 3: go back to New York every few months, I have 719 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:45,960 Speaker 3: people there that I've gotten close to that lost family, 720 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:50,960 Speaker 3: and it's still to them they raw pain today as 721 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 3: it was in two thousand and one. 722 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:54,440 Speaker 1: We have we should never forget that. 723 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:57,839 Speaker 2: We have done a lot of interviews of family and 724 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:02,600 Speaker 2: friends and people there and everything else, and You're absolutely right. 725 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:05,319 Speaker 1: We can never ever forget that. 726 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 3: It's so weird how things happened. Jimmy Neil a good 727 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:10,880 Speaker 3: friend of mine. The first time he and I went 728 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:14,400 Speaker 3: to New York. He was up there with me and 729 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 3: one of his good friends is a dentist in town. 730 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 3: And when he was in college, his roommate died in 731 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,959 Speaker 3: nine eleven, and we were walking around, and we walked 732 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 3: down to the towers where the towers once stood, and 733 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:29,280 Speaker 3: walked around that memorial there they have outside. 734 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:30,840 Speaker 1: With the fountain all it's just amazing. 735 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:34,400 Speaker 3: And we get too right there and Jimmy puts his 736 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,920 Speaker 3: hand down on that memorial and he's telling me about 737 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:41,600 Speaker 3: his brand's best friend who died in nine to eleven, 738 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:43,480 Speaker 3: and picked his hand up and threw his name. I 739 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:45,799 Speaker 3: don't remember what his name was, but he had put 740 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:48,520 Speaker 3: his hand on that guy's name that we were talking 741 00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:51,520 Speaker 3: about and had no idea that that name was under 742 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 3: his hand. He said, my gosh, there's his name. Went unbelievable. 743 00:36:56,239 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 3: It's just unreal. 744 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:01,080 Speaker 1: How about here, wife, Chrissy. 745 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:03,280 Speaker 4: I think it could be beautiful to pay a tribute 746 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 4: to her that you know, she stuck around with you 747 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:08,000 Speaker 4: or this happened. I know she played your nurse even 748 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:11,240 Speaker 4: when you were what she drove you to the rehab 749 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 4: and I mean, I'm sure things are complicated, but it's 750 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 4: it seems to still be we. 751 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:21,600 Speaker 3: I hated the divorce altogether, but we we've been divorced 752 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:25,920 Speaker 3: now twenty years. It's we've we talked every day about 753 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:29,640 Speaker 3: the kids, but we've grown so far apart now. It's 754 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:32,879 Speaker 3: just she was good when when she was good, and 755 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:35,720 Speaker 3: there was a lot of bad things that happened between 756 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 3: us over the years, things both of us shouldn't have done. 757 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 3: But it's over with now. So and I want her 758 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:44,959 Speaker 3: to find somebody and be happy. I want the same 759 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:49,600 Speaker 3: you know her as she would for me. Everybody deserves 760 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,360 Speaker 3: somebody in life, and hopefully she'll she'll find somebody that 761 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:53,879 Speaker 3: would treat her good one day. 762 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:56,440 Speaker 1: But the point is she did stick with you through it. 763 00:37:56,680 --> 00:37:59,839 Speaker 1: She did took them through it, and thank God for that. 764 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 4: How about if anybody wanted to contact you, Pat, I mean, 765 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:04,920 Speaker 4: I think schools would be a great to have you 766 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 4: as a speaker or. 767 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:10,480 Speaker 1: I'm easy to contact. I'm on all social media platforms. 768 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 2: And what what just Pat Hardison, Yeah, h A R D. 769 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,480 Speaker 3: I s o N shoot me as messenger and I 770 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:20,040 Speaker 3: singing my cl phone and talk to me. 771 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:23,480 Speaker 1: The Facing the Fire by Pat Hardison. 772 00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:26,400 Speaker 2: Guys, you want to read it, you want to be inspired, 773 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 2: and if you if you want a tale of steadfastness, 774 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:36,960 Speaker 2: redemption and overcoming obstacles, there's no greater story than yours. 775 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:40,319 Speaker 1: Pat. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your 776 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:44,440 Speaker 1: story being so open with us, and God bless you. Pat. 777 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:47,720 Speaker 1: I'm so glad that you are. 778 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:52,120 Speaker 2: Through all of it, that you're that your that's your 779 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 2: toughness and your dedication paid off and you get some 780 00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:57,880 Speaker 2: spend some times with your grandkids and enjoy some life. 781 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:00,480 Speaker 3: So just now it's the time we'll still eld and back. 782 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 3: I hope to give me a house built soon and 783 00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:05,319 Speaker 3: help my family all over and that would be that's 784 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:05,960 Speaker 3: the endgame. 785 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:08,719 Speaker 2: I saw one picture of you with an almosshad on, 786 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 2: so Hoti Toddy, Hotty, Toddy, and thank you for joining 787 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:20,440 Speaker 2: us this week. If Pat Hardison has inspired you in general, 788 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:23,719 Speaker 2: or better yet, to take action by giving you a 789 00:39:23,719 --> 00:39:28,760 Speaker 2: new perspective on life bias book Facing the Fire, gifting 790 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:32,080 Speaker 2: it to someone you know, bringing Pat to your community 791 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 2: or school for a speech, or something else entirely. 792 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:37,640 Speaker 1: Let me know I'd love to hear about it. 793 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:41,240 Speaker 2: You can write me anytime at Bill at normal folks 794 00:39:41,320 --> 00:39:44,759 Speaker 2: dot us. And if you enjoyed this episode, share with 795 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:49,000 Speaker 2: friends on onsocial, subscribe to the podcast, rate it, review it, 796 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:53,200 Speaker 2: Join the army at normal folks dot us. Do any 797 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:55,800 Speaker 2: and all of these things that can help us grow 798 00:39:56,120 --> 00:40:00,399 Speaker 2: an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. Until next Tom, 799 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:02,400 Speaker 2: Do what you can