It was a perfect July day for boating on the Hatchie River, and Dustin Maxwell was making the most of it. But then the boat hit a submerged sandbar, throwing him into the water. As the craft lurched back, Justin was caught in the propeller. The blades twisted and slashed his arms into shreds. To make it worse, his open wounds were exposed to the polluted water of the Hatchie River.

Though torn and bleeding, Dustin managed to stay conscious while he was airlifted to The MED. When he arrived and was told they were giving him something for his pain, he simply said, “Thank you.”

Christine Maxwell was on hand to see how the trauma team at The MED worked to save her stepson. “As a nurse in The MED’s NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), I knew from experience the extraordinary level of care our youngest patients receive. Now I was seeing that same passion, professionalism, efficiency, and incredible teamwork in action for an adult,” she explains.

“Dustin was in that germ-filled river and his body was so terribly torn and battered – not just his arms but his torso, leg, and knee – the risk of infection was huge,” she continued. “But thanks to the meticulous care he received, Dustin had absolutely no infections or other complications – even after multiple surgeries and a skin graft.”

The surgeons were able to save Dustin’s upper arms, but both his lower arms were broken and mangled beyond any help. Dustin was just grateful to wake up in the world of the living. It has been a long path back, but today, Dustin lives independently and is developing his talent as a painter.

Christine explains, “The care Dustin received was just extraordinary – just like the care we give those tiny premature babies in the NICU. It did my heart good simply knowing he was getting exactly the care he needed, right here at The MED.”

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