The Incredible Survival Story of John Thompson

In 1992, a small farming community in North Dakota became the backdrop for one of the most shocking and inspiring survival stories ever recorded. A teenager named John Thompson faced a horrifying accident that would test the limits of human endurance, quick thinking, and medical science. This is the story of how John, at just 18 years old, survived a gruesome tractor accident that severed both of his arms—and how he managed to get help in the most unimaginable way. His journey of resilience didn’t end with survival; it continued through a lifetime of challenges, emotional struggles, and a determination to inspire others, as documented in his book, Home in One Piece.

A Normal Day Turns Tragic

John Thompson was a typical teenager growing up on his family’s 1,600-acre farm in Hurdsfield, North Dakota, a tiny town with a population of just 64 as of 2020. Like many kids in the area, he was no stranger to hard work. By the age of 18, he was already helping with daily chores, including operating heavy machinery like tractors. Farming life was tough, but John loved being outdoors and working alongside his family. On January 11, 1992, John was alone on the farm while his parents were 90 miles away in Bismarck, visiting a cousin who had been injured in a car accident.

It was a cold winter morning, and John decided to tackle a chore: unloading barley from a truck into a 30-foot-tall metal grain bin. He set up a grain auger—a drill-like metal shaft that moves grain into the bin—and powered it with an Allis-Chalmers tractor. The tractor’s engine drove a power takeoff (PTO) shaft, a spinning bar that turned the auger. The Thompsons’ PTO shaft lacked a safety shield, a common choice among farmers at the time because shields often got in the way during cleaning and frequently broke. Farming is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world—an injury occurs on one in five farms each year—but the absence of that shield would prove catastrophic.

While working, John slipped on a patch of ice softened by the noontime sun. His shirt got caught in the PTO shaft, which was spinning at 9 to 17 revolutions per second. In an instant, the shaft yanked him in, spinning his body like a human propeller. The force was so immense that it tore both of his arms off just below the shoulders, throwing him 20 feet away from the machine. John blacked out from the impact.

When he came to, his dog, Tuffy, was licking his face, bringing him back to consciousness. Lying on his left side, John initially thought his right arm was broken—until he tried to lift himself with his left arm and realized both were gone. The pain was unimaginable, and he was losing blood fast. With no one around for miles, John was completely on his own. Most people would have given up, but John’s will to survive kicked in.

A Race Against Time

Despite the excruciating pain and massive blood loss, John stayed conscious. He later recalled feeling dizzy, saying, “I was bleeding out. By the time I got to the hospital, they said, ‘You shouldn’t be alive because there’s no blood in you.’” His only chance was to get help, and the nearest phone was inside the farmhouse, 100 yards away. With no arms to help him, John pushed himself up by leaning against the tractor tire and began the agonizing journey to the house. He stumbled and fell multiple times, but he refused to give up.

When he reached the house, the sliding patio door was locked, so he entered through the attached garage. Using his teeth, he turned the doorknob to get inside. Once in, he kicked open the door to his father’s office, where a phone sat on the desk. There was no 911 service in Hurdsfield, so John had to dial his cousin Tammy’s seven-digit number. With no hands to use, he picked up a pencil with his mouth and carefully dialed the numbers. It took several tries, but he finally got through.

When Tammy answered, John explained what had happened, his voice muffled by the pencil in his mouth. Tammy and her mother, Renee, rushed to the farm, arriving in about five minutes. They found blood splattered across the walls and floors, and John in the bathroom, sitting in the bathtub behind the shower curtain. He had climbed into the tub to avoid bleeding on his mom’s new carpet—a small but incredible act of thoughtfulness in the midst of his trauma. “I don’t want you to see me,” he told Renee, but she pulled the curtain back anyway. The sight was horrifying, but Renee stayed calm, holding John and keeping his spirits up while they waited for the ambulance. John remained rational, even cracking jokes to lighten the mood. “I wanted to quit smoking, but this isn’t how I wanted to stop,” he quipped.

The Medical Miracle

The ambulance crew arrived and found John’s severed arms at the accident site. They packed the limbs in ice to preserve them and rushed John to a local hospital before airlifting him to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. There, a team of microsurgeons, led by Dr. Allen Van Beek and Dr. J. Bart Muldowney, prepared for a high-stakes operation. Dr. Van Beek, who had grown up on a North Dakota farm and understood the dangers of agricultural accidents, knew the risks. “To try to save your arms, we have to risk your life, and there is no guarantee the arms won’t have to come off again later,” he told John. John nodded, determined to go forward.

The surgery lasted over six hours. Under magnified light, the surgeons sorted through John’s severed limbs, matching up nerves, blood vessels, and muscles with needles thinner than a human hair. They reconnected the bones with metal plates and screws, then meticulously sewed the tiny blood vessels and nerves together. The goal was to restore blood flow to prevent tissue death. Against all odds, the surgery was a success. Blood began flowing to John’s arms again, and he was placed in a four-week coma to help his body heal.

During his recovery, John faced serious complications, including a blood infection that threatened his life. He underwent more than 30 surgeries over the years to improve his condition, but the initial reattachment was a triumph of medical science. Doctors estimated that, barring infections, John might regain use of his arms from the elbows up—a remarkable outcome for such a severe injury.

The Long Road to Recovery

John’s physical recovery was only part of the battle. He spent weeks in the hospital, fighting infections and undergoing follow-up surgeries. Because the nerves in his arms had been severed, he had no feeling or movement in them at first.
Doctors warned him that it could take years of physical therapy to regain even partial use of his arms—if he ever did at all. The massive blood loss also caused memory issues; John later said he couldn’t remember significant events from that time, like meeting the Clintons in Washington, D.C., during his recovery.

But John was determined. He started physical therapy as soon as he was able, working tirelessly to rebuild his strength and retrain his muscles. The process was slow and painful, but John’s spirit never wavered. Over the next few years, he made incredible progress. Sensation and movement gradually returned to his arms, though he never fully regained his fine motor skills. His hands remained unable to fully open, making tasks like holding a nail or buttoning a shirt difficult. Still, John adapted. He learned to slip on pre-buttoned shirts, became a better typist than he was before the accident, and even preferred fist bumps over handshakes.

Emotionally, the accident took a heavy toll. John became an instant celebrity, with his story making international headlines. People sent letters, donations totaling over $700,000, and even marriage proposals. But the attention was overwhelming for the shy farm kid from a town of 70 people. “The attention was way harder than the accident,” John later said. “Coming from a town of 70 people and not knowing anything… being thrown into the spotlight and being known around the world was just scary.” His mother, Karen, noted that the emotional scars and depression that followed were the hardest part of his struggle. “I don’t care how old your child is, if your child is in pain, whether it’s physical or psychological, you feel it,” she said.

A Story of Resilience

John’s story didn’t end with his recovery. In 2001, he published a book about his experience titled Home in One Piece, co-authored with Paula Crain Grosinger. The book, which became a bestseller in the Midwest, details his accident, recovery, and the emotional challenges he faced in the years that followed. In it, John shares his struggles with depression, his attempts to find normalcy, and the hope that kept him going. He wrote about how the accident changed him, often referring to his pre-injury self in the third person, as if that version of John were a different person. “There’s not too much I remember about him anymore,” he said.

After the accident, John tried to build a new life. He attended the University of Minnesota and later Minot State University, where he studied broadcasting, but he didn’t graduate. John toured the country giving speeches on farm safety, raising money for charities like United Blood Services, which had saved his life with blood donations. He even ran for the North Dakota state House in 2004, though he dropped out before the election. John also pursued his love of music, singing at karaoke bars and dreaming of cutting a record. Despite these efforts, he struggled to find steady work, often relying on disability payments and the interest from donations he received after the accident.

Over the years, John has continued to inspire others. He has flown to Minneapolis multiple times to support families of people who have suffered similar accidents, offering advice and encouragement. “When somebody has a similar accident, the hospitals will call me,” he said. “I talk to the families and support them, give them advice on what to do and what to expect.” His story has touched countless lives, including a boy in Arkansas who lost both hands in a chicken feed grinder. John’s resilience and positivity have made him a beacon of hope for the disabled community and beyond.

Life After the Spotlight

As of 2022, John, then 48, was living in Minot, North Dakota, though he had plans to move to Minneapolis, where he felt he could live more anonymously. He rented an apartment in Minneapolis that winter and visited Dr. Allen Van Beek, who had become a friend as well as his doctor. John’s arms, while reattached, remain limited in function. “There’s not a whole lot I don’t do from shingling, raking, mowing, painting,” he said, but fine motor tasks like holding a nail are still a challenge. North Dakota winters exacerbate his physical limitations, as the cold makes his hands nearly unusable.

John has faced other challenges, too. The fame that followed his accident brought both opportunities and burdens. He turned down offers to work as a TV reporter in Minot and to testify before Congress, feeling overwhelmed by the attention. He worked as a real estate agent for three years but struggled with tasks like writing up offers in unheated homes, where his hands would get too cold to function. In 1997, he sued his father—a mutual decision—to collect on the family’s property insurance against the manufacturer of the farm equipment, helping to cover his medical expenses.

Despite these setbacks, John remains proud of what he has accomplished. “I’d like to see what would happen to you if you’re 18 and you get thrown into all this,” he said. “I’m damned impressed with what I’ve done.” He continues to dream of new projects, like writing a children’s book about a three-legged dog and getting back into speaking or local politics. Above all, he wants to help others. “Everybody needs to be needed, and that’s what he’s looking for,” his mother said.

A Legacy of Courage

John Thompson’s story is a testament to the power of human resilience, the advancements of medical science, and the strength of the human spirit. What happened to him in 1992 could have easily ended in tragedy, but John’s quick thinking, determination, and the skill of his medical team gave him a second chance at life. His book, Home in One Piece, offers a raw and honest look at his journey, from the day of the accident to his ongoing efforts to find purpose and meaning in the aftermath.

At Phacts, we’re amazed by stories like John’s—real-life examples of courage and survival that remind us just how strong people can be. If you’re inspired by John’s incredible journey and want to read more about it, check out his book, Home in One Piece, available on Amazon and if you want to stay updated on more incredible stories like this, don’t forget to subscribe to Phacts for the latest updates on real-life heroes, fascinating facts, and more. Join our community today and never miss a story that inspires!

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