Awakening In The Deep End

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) December 5, 2011 --

We are raising funds through Kickstarter to finish the publishing of a book and the production of an accompanying video presentation of amazing life story about a man who through tragic and sometimes insurmountable circumstances has had the tenacity to maintain an unshakable and sometimes inhuman positive attitude. Having been disabled as a child, struck by lightning in 2002, and in a major automobile accident which has permanently disfigured him he continues to work toward a goal of making the world a better place. His book and accompanying video will be geared toward anyone you has suffered unfortunate events in their lives and are looking for hope.
The following is an excerpt from an article written about the author:

The Deep End Of The Ocean: The Jeff Main Story
by: Kim Cass
“Sometimes you find yourself in the deep end of the ocean and life is never the same again.”

Note: Some details & photos are graphic in nature. Please use reader discretion. As I wrote this article, I questioned how much detail to get into. Some images and details may be disturbing to readers. I came to the conclusion that for readers to fully grasp the scope of the story, it was necessary to use detail. Without the detail, the story loses its integrity. This is an insider’s look at the triumph of the human spirit, coming back from the brink of death and remaining positive through it all.

The Deep End Of The Ocean

It started as a sunny, 70 degree day. November 27, 2005. The day that changed Jeff Main’s life forever. He was enjoying his drive down a winding road in his convertible at around 45 to 50 mph. He had the top down and there was a cool breeze. Life was good. At home, his wife and three small kids were waiting for him. He was on his way to meet his wife for a date night. What happened next would change his life forever.

As he drove, he suddenly heard someone yell. Startled, he ducked and jerked the steering wheel to the left. In an instant, he lost control of the car. He hit the brakes, but it was too late. He recalled a weightless feeling similar to the negative g’s felt when riding a roller coaster. The back end of his car slid out and flew straight for a ditch on the left side of the road.

His left leg was thrown through the windshield. He felt it crush. But his face took the brunt of the trauma and force when it hit the top windshield bar. The car hit with so much violence that the rear end spun around going airborne and flew end over end. When the car finally landed with a thud, Jeff was still buckled in.

“Back then, my only problem was pride. I thought I was invincible.”

A photo of the car after the crash

All Jeff felt was pain. He knew instinctually that he had to get help, or he would die. There was blood, teeth and bone protruding from his face. He spotted a house and started to head toward it. He said he tried walking, but the pain was excruciating. A pain that to this day he cannot begin to describe. He knew he couldn’t die. His wife, Mellissa and three kids, Jacob, Rebekah, and Dylan were at home waiting for him. By the grace of God, the homeowners were home that night – a night they normally would not have been. Jeff somehow pulled his broken body up their gravel driveway. If they hadn’t found him and called for help, he would have died at their front door. But God had other plans.

I was surprised that Jeff remembers what happened next. Most people who experience these life & death traumas don’t have the vivid, detailed memories that this man does. The first to respond on the scene was a Pinellas County Deputy. Jeff remembers thinking “my wife is gonna be really upset with me for wrecking the car.” It was surreal. Within minutes, the ambulance was there. He lay in the driveway in agony, trying to put his face back together, still not fully aware of the scope of his injuries. A Bayflight helicopter arrived to air lift him to the nearest hospital. “I believe I died during that flight” he told me quietly. He remembers landing on the roof of the hospital. It was there that he finally allowed himself to fall into a dark sleep.

“That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

He flat lined between six and seven times and was in a coma for the next six weeks in the ICU at Bayfront Medical Center. He was in the hospital from November 26-2005 to January 1, 2006. He has only vague, strange, hallucinogenic memories. He recalled seeing his wife crying, standing over him with a nurse. They were talking and he tried to scream out “I’m ok. I’m here!” but he couldn’t make a sound. They didn’t hear him.

“I am here by the grace of God. The doctors told me that my body tried very hard to die. My face was literally ripped in half and crushed, starting below the lower jaw and neck. My airway was so severely damaged that every time I attempted to take a breath, it collapsed.” Jeff explained. Doctors were sure he’d spend the rest of his life on a ventilator, but God had other plans.

As he slowly came out of the coma, his thoughts were “what will my three kids think of daddy?” He hoped and prayed they’d forgive him for missing Christmas. He told me his wife was invaluable at keeping the faces of their three children in front of him, next to his hospital bed. To this day, he still believes that if his wife had not placed those pictures there, he would have had a hard time not giving up. She stayed by his side for the long haul.

The fun loving couple. Jeff and his wife Mellissa before the accident.

Every day was an uphill battle. He could sense the death and struggle that was going on all around him in the ICU. “The ICU nurses are some of the most devoted people that I have ever had the misfortune of meeting” he said. In the weeks that followed, he did plenty of soul searching in that ICU. He pictured himself walking again, eating and breathing on his own and doing amazing things with his life. He believed in his heart that he would get to do all of those things again. The doctors had almost given up on him, but he remembered one nurse named Susan, the Head ICU nurse who whispered “No. I think he’s in there”. She was right.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

Jeff in ICU. A whole new reality sets in.

I asked him how he was able to be so optimistic when many people fall into deep depressions or even commit suicide after severe facial injuries and disfigurement. Where was he getting this cheerful and optimistic attitude from? He reflected for a moment, then told me three things: He said he feels he was born a natural optimist. He’d had that kind of personality before the accident. He told me he had the love of the most amazing wife and three kids. He said his unwavering family support was a big reason. He also said that he always knew he’d live and he’d walk again. He thought “If I get through this, I’m gonna make it out of here on my own two feet.”

He had to keep moving forward. He admits to times of feeling depressed. He’s endured over 22 surgeries and the last few were botched so badly that he was left with more severe disfigurement than a few years prior. He was open enough to show me photos of his different surgeries. While many people would be private about sharing personal photos of this nature, he shared them.

Another failed attempt at reconstructive surgery. Metal plate protruding through Jeff’s chin.

He’s made the choice to not become addicted to the pain medication that he badly needs. He explained that he never liked the way they made him feel foggy and disconnected from life. He didn’t want to use them as a crutch. Aside from the obvious facial disfigurement, he has lingering pain from his crushed left leg, his left shoulder and ongoing back pain. “Only once in a blue moon do I take something for it. I use a magnetic bracelet and I feel it really helps with the pain” he said proudly. I nodded, realizing that even a bad paper cut could make me miserable. This man was amazing.

“If you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. That faith has to be not only in God, but of the people around you and in yourself. If you can’t have faith in the people around you, then find new people! ”

Jeff and his family at Christmas, in their home.

Jeff leaned forward and looked at me. “Kim, the only way I can justify what happened to me is that there has to be a reason- to help other people, to help the environment, to help the economy with my Green business and with the foundation I’m working on. I also want to make sure my family is taken care of. It’s important”

In a cruel twist of irony, a few years ago, doctors had him looking better than he currently does right now. I found this odd. The man I saw before me still needed a jaw, teeth and a mouth. I commented that he’d gone backward. He nodded and explained that it was part of the process of the surgeries and some had not gone as well as doctors had hoped. He has plans for more corrective surgeries in the future. Despite this, he said he had to focus on getting better and the eventual outcome, instead of feeling sorry for himself in this space of right here and right now- a space so many of us fall into with far less important matters to worry about.
Jeff water skiing one year after the accident, after being told he’d never walk again.

He told me the future plan was to create a jaw out of a bone in his hip, make lips out of tissue and put teeth in. I asked him if he felt uncomfortable when he went in public. He laughed and told me that 90% of the places he goes, people are wonderful to him. He said he loves to go out and makes friends wherever he goes. That made me smile. I could easily see why. He has a magnetic personality that shines through. I quickly forgot about his physical appearance and found him funny and entertaining. He introduced me to his dogs and showed me around their gorgeous home. His family has adapted to their situation and become closer as a result.
Source: thejeffmainstory.wordpress.com

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