What started as a normal day at work for Dale White turned into an unforgettable Friday.
“It just hit me right in the face,” recalled the 49-year-old. “I could feel it there. I even moved it some.”
White was working with an air compressor when it malfunctioned and blew up. A piece of copper tubing struck just above his right eye, punctured his skull and penetrated his brain. He said he never felt pain.
“You don't just want to pull it out,” said Dr. Gregory Smith, neurosurgeon at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.
Careful to keep blood vessels, nerves and tissues intact, Dr. Smith performed emergency brain surgery.
“The pipe went in… and bent,” said Dr. Smith, who believes the force of the pipe going in and its precise entry point into the skull saved White’s life.
"A little above, a little below… or to the right or left would've been a whole different story I'm afraid," said Dr. Smith.
It’s no wonder doctors are calling White’s recovery miraculous.
“Really, next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital six days later,” recalled White, whose eyeball wasn’t ruptured. His speech and balance never faltered.
“I’m glad that it wasn't worse,” said Dr. Smith.
Scars on White’s forehead are a faint reminder of his near-fatal freak accident.
“I'm just very fortunate to be here," said White.
