Amazing stories of survival & recovery
Gabrielle Giffords' ordeal is one of several great ones.
Think Gabrielle Giffords’ recovery is remarkable? Check out these inspiring stories of ordinary people who defied extraordinary odds to survive or who did what was thought to be impossible.
Hit by a drunken driver in 1984 at age 18, Sarah Scantlin was in a coma for decades.She suddenly awoke, and surprised her doctors when she spoke after being comatose so long.
Shot in the head
Shot in the head in during an assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan, Jim Brady was not expected to survive. But he did, and went on to become an advocate for gun control. For Brady's efforts, a famous bill is named after him.
Protecting the president was not in Brady’s job description – he was not a member of the Secret Service. Find out why he was with the president.
The man who shot him, John Hinckley, was found not guilty.
Protecting the president was not in Brady’s job description – he was not a member of the Secret Service. Find out why he was with the president.
The man who shot him, John Hinckley, was found not guilty.
Self-amputation
He survived being stuck between an actual rock and a hard place, but had to make an inconceivable sacrifice to do so. Find out what he amputated.
A recent movie starring James Franco was directed by an Academy Award winning director. Watch the trailer.
A recent movie starring James Franco was directed by an Academy Award winning director. Watch the trailer.
‘The woman who fell to earth’
Sometimes called the “woman who fell to earth,” Vesna Vulovic’s survival story got her into the Guinness Book of World Records. This is one record you wouldn’t want to try and break, though.
Andes Mountains crash survivors
Sixteen people, including a rugby team, survived for months (how long exactly?) when their plane crashed into the harsh terrain of the Andes Mountains. A Hollywood movie was made based on their story and addressed the controversial way they stayed alive.
Nearly cut in two
A regular day at work for railroad switch operator Truman Duncan turned into a fight for his life when a freak accident left him nearly cut in half. He remarkably stayed conscious long enough to make two important phone calls.
He survived and refused media interviews for a couple years until 2008. Watch this “Today" show interview.
He survived and refused media interviews for a couple years until 2008. Watch this “Today" show interview.
Adrift at sea for months
An experienced sailor, Steven Callahan was participating in a sailing race before he dropped out. With a badly damaged boat, he was unable to stay aboard. He ended up adrift at sea for months.
Left for dead
Mountaineer Joe Simpson was left for dead in a crevasse in the Peruvian Andes after attempting to climb the Siula Grande. He wrote a successful book , and a movie was later made, based on his experiences.
Sole plane crash survivor
Juliane Koepcke is the sole survivor of an airplane crash that killed people in December 1971. A rare event caused the plane to explode in the sky over the Peruvian rain forest.
She survived with only a single broken bone – which one – and other minor injuries: a gash to her right arm and swollen right eye.
She survived with only a single broken bone – which one – and other minor injuries: a gash to her right arm and swollen right eye.
Struck by lightning again
Park Ranger Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning not once or twice, but many times.Known as the “Human Lightning Rod,” he got struck so many times he became depressed, and it was a different kind of flash that killed him.
Paralyzed on the gridiron
Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett took a hard hit in 2007 and fell limply to the ground in front of stunned fans during a game. Doctors said it was likely he would have permanent neurological impairment and may never walk again. Soon, he was walking.
Trapped in a snow cave
Randy Knapp was a teenager when he survived being trapped in a snow cave on Oregon’s rugged Mount Hood with two friends.
Paralysis cured by spider
David Blancarte survived a motorcycle accident that left him a paraplegic. After decades, his paralysis was cured by a bug bite.
Pronounced brain dead
Zach Dunlap had been severely injured in an accident and pronounced brain dead. His family approved having his organs harvested when he started to respond to a small touch.
Hurricane on a boat
Even the most experienced sailors would have problems with a hurricane. Hired to deliver the state-of-the-art 44-foot luxury yacht Hazana, Tami Oldham Ashcraft and her fiancé got hit by Hurricane Raymond.