Dad and snowmobile rider has both legs amputated after falling into grain bin
A 30-year-old man has had both his legs amputated after he became caught in a grain bin auger while cleaning out the grain bin.
Travis Muller, from Windom, Minnesota, was cleaning out the grain bin on Sunday at a property around nine miles north of Windom, according to the Cottonwood County Sheriff's Office. He was rescued by emergency responders after becoming trapped in the power sweep auger and taken by air ambulance to the North Memorial Health in Robbinsdale.
His wife, Jasmine, set up a GoFundMe page to help cover their medical costs, as Travis underwent multiple initial procedures to save as much of his legs as possible. His left leg has been amputated above the knee and his right below the knee, though doctors are unsure whether his right leg amputation will remain below the knee or not.
Doctors said just a few more seconds and Travis could have lost his life, not just his legs"Sunday September 24 we woke up to our 'normal' Sunday, watched church then headed to Mt Lake for a bike ride," wrote Jasmine. "That afternoon Travis was helping clean out a grain bin with an auger inside.
"Things turned for the worst extremely quickly... both of Trav's legs got caught in the auger, one up to his thigh."
Missing radioactive capsule found after huge search - and it's the size of a pea
Travis, who has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, is described as "extremely active and a constant goer" with Jasmine saying that the accident and resulting amputations are "very hard to process" and the family are "all still in so much shock". But, she said: "As life changing as this will be and heartbreaking to lose his legs, the doctor said just a few more seconds and he would no longer be with us."
She added: "We know that Trav is strong but this is going to be an extremely difficult and unimaginable journey for us. He is going to have a tough time not playing with his little girl for a while and this life changing procedure. We love him and I thank God he is with us to see our little girl grow up and create beautiful memories."
Until recently, Travis was a professional snowmobile racer, according to the Snowmobile Racing Network (SRN)'s Facebook post. They wrote: "Hang in there, Travis! Travis is a great athlete and a phenomenal person in general."
Travis' family said they're just thankful he's alive to see his daughter grow up (GoFundMe)In an update posted to Caring Bridge on Wednesday, September 27, Jasmine shared that Travis had undergone his third surgery since the accident. His wounds have been routinely cleaned out to keep any chance of infection at bay after the accident left him with wounds full of "dirt and corn". She previously said he faces "more surgeries" to make the "more 'permanent' amputation cut for [the] best chance of prosthetic outcomes".
She said: "They removed a lot of dead muscle and tissue in both legs... the main goal now is continuing surgeries to keep removing dead tissue until only healthy and thriving muscle and tissue is left, then at that point they can close his wounds but at this time the surgeon decided to continue to have both leg amputation sites open".
She said surgeons are still "unsure if his right leg will remain below the knee amputation", adding "it may have to be higher to have a cleaner and better success rate for a prosthetic." Jasmine shared that Travis had the "most" amount of pain since the first day of the accident following his latest surgery, but quickly pivoted to a more positive outlook.
Jasmine said Travis had eaten his first meal, with doctors saying his feeding tube could be removed soon. She also said: "This evening Trav has been cracking jokes with anyone he can and making us all laugh! The nurses and doctors absolutely love him".
Asked if he had anything he wanted to share with people following his story and recovery, he told Jasmine: "Tell them some of my jokes and that this is no biggie. And thank you for everything."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
