Tourist paralysed in Tobago

[Habit7]

Posted: 7:59 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, 2012
Ga. man shares story of survival after near-fatal wreck in Tobago


By Ashley Swann
Channel 2 Action News
ATLANTA — A Georgia man with an amazing story of survival is now facing a mountain of medical bills from his ordeal.

Once an active 32-year-old, Justin Lake is now a quadriplegic recovering at Atlanta's Shepherd Center. It's a story that can only be described as a nightmare.

On Aug. 26, Justin was on vacation in Tobago with friends when a drunk driver hit him going at least 80 miles an hour as he sat in a parked car.

Justin couldn't feel anything from the neck down, and said his fear only grew when emergency responders didn't seem to know what to do.

"Laying on my back and just completely paralyzed, that was a pretty terrifying feeling," he shared with Channel 2's Ashley Swann. "I had to walk the guy through putting on my c-collar and how to stabilize my spine so the damage wouldn't get any worse."

A trained EMT himself, Lake was taken to a makeshift hospital where he assisted as doctors stitched up his head wound without pain medication.

Finally, thanks to the hard work of friends who live in Trinidad, Lake was taken by military helicopter to Trinidad, where he underwent surgery to stabilize his neck. He was eventually flown by a private ICU jet to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta.

"It's an amazing place. I'm lucky to be in America," Lake said.

But that flight alone cost nearly $30,000 -- expenses Lake and his family said their insurance company may not cover.

"Maybe they'll reconsider once we get some more documentation to them, hopefully, because the bill is astronomical," Lake said.

Now facing a future he never imagined, Lake said the support of loved ones and even strangers on Facebook is keeping him going.

"It's just, it's just amazing. It's humbling really," he told Swann. "Hopefully it'll continue and I'll keep getting all those prayers from those people. I'm still here. God still wants me on this earth, you know, so there's a reason for it."

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/ga ... rec/nSPbQ/

[*$kїđž!™]

wow....third world country ...tobago....

[S_2NR]

not surprised, tobago is backward as fcuk. makes trinidad look good.

[zcarz]

repost?

[DVSTT]

Trinidad has more drunk drivers than bago, just bago has more tourists. But that's really unfair what happened to the guy. Life..

[shogun]

"Justin couldn't feel anything from the neck down, and said his fear only grew when emergency responders didn't seem to know what to do.

"Laying on my back and just completely paralyzed, that was a pretty terrifying feeling," he shared with Channel 2's Ashley Swann. "I had to walk the guy through putting on my c-collar and how to stabilize my spine so the damage wouldn't get any worse."

[foss]

^ ENT !

I woulda sue the driver of the car, his family, his uncles, aunts, grand parents, etc...

[AllTrac]

im sure the EMT could of made a c-collar and a pair of sandals for him with sea shells.

[DevilZ]

sue and get what? pigeon peas?

[Habit7]

not surprised, tobago is backward as fcuk. makes trinidad look good.

Actually to the casual this cast a bad net on both islands and by extension the entire caribbean.


But if the same would have happened to you or me on one of the islands of the Florida Keys or some rural part of the US, I wont be surprised if the same would have happened too, esp. with EMTs who would hardly have real life experience with this.

[shogun]

But if the same would have happened to you or me on one of the islands of the Florida Keys or some rural part of the US, I wont be surprised if the same would have happened too, esp. with EMTs who would hardly have real life experience with this.

Not so sure, you know. Automobile and motorcycle accidents, are one of the leading causes of spinal cord injuries. The only difference here, is that this accident victim, suffered paralysis because of the injuries. And if it's anything our EMT should know, (with the amount of vehicular accidents, occuring here), is vital sign assessment, and handling spinal cord injuries.

C'mon. we should be able to do better than this.

[Rooki3]

steupes, better he than me, ppl get in accidents everywhere, damn spoil americans always wanna play d "victim" card

[Habit7]

Hope he knows that if he were to get into that same accident in Jamaica, there is no free military aircraft to transfer him to a better hospital.

[Morpheus]

"Justin couldn't feel anything from the neck down, and said his fear only grew when emergency responders didn't seem to know what to do.

"Laying on my back and just completely paralyzed, that was a pretty terrifying feeling," he shared with Channel 2's Ashley Swann. "I had to walk the guy through putting on my c-collar and how to stabilize my spine so the damage wouldn't get any worse."

^^Exactly!

[Stephon.]

I don't wanna make fun of him eh but ......
Can you imagine him almost dead and blood shooting out from every hole in his body and he is struggling to speak saying stuff like.

"ok now pull out my infected guts"
"alright now put some rubbing alcohol on my exposed bones"
"right get some crazy glue now and put my bones back together"
"ok now you don't need to be gentle with my lower area because I'm paralyzed and can't feel a thing so now take my feet and cut off the blood so the infected blood won't rush to my brain"
"alright now call the helicopter"
I can't.

[sliderz1]

[MISHI]

steupes, better he than me, ppl get in accidents everywhere, damn spoil americans always wanna play d "victim" card

regardless mate, it shows the the emergency and healthcare situation in Tobago is in dire need of improvement. Just recently i visited someone at Scarborough who just had a newborn and while there the place was extremely hot. The ceiling fans all out of balance and one or two looking like they want to shake itself loose... then something as simple as the "privacy runners" which is basically curtains on runners had one end falling off... and when i tried to fit it back the entire thing for about 4 beds across started shaking like it'll fall off...

add to that many working there either don't care to deal with you cause they are just concerned about pay or cannot deal with people at all (sometimes you will believe you're at a police station) I just have no confidence in our health care situation in Tobago. To have someone properly take care of you it's better you just pay someone.

I always say: If I get into an accident here, just leave me to die or at least give me masking tape and some cotton to fend for myself.

[De Dragon]

steupes, better he than me, ppl get in accidents everywhere, damn spoil americans always wanna play d "victim" card

regardless mate, it shows the the emergency and healthcare situation in Tobago is in dire need of improvement. Just recently i visited someone at Scarborough who just had a newborn and while there the place was extremely hot. The ceiling fans all out of balance and one or two looking like they want to shake itself loose... then something as simple as the "privacy runners" which is basically curtains on runners had one end falling off... and when i tried to fit it back the entire thing for about 4 beds across started shaking like it'll fall off...

add to that many working there either don't care to deal with you cause they are just concerned about pay or cannot deal with people at all (sometimes you will believe you're at a police station) I just have no confidence in our health care situation in Tobago. To have someone properly take care of you it's better you just pay someone.

I always say: If I get into an accident here, just leave me to die or at least give me masking tape and some cotton to fend for myself.

Well you guys gots elections coming up, so............