Chris Brown

Type of Donation:       tissue recipient

Age and Location:      Age 36 - Jesup, GA

Date of Transplant:           5/25/2019

Sponsor:                      Honored by Axogen

CHRIS’S STORY

In March of 2019, Chris was two stories in the air operating a pulp mill when his hand became entangled in the powerful machinery and his right arm was traumatically amputated. Miraculously, he was able to climb down from the machine and his co-worker applied a torniquet before rushing him to the hospital. Despite the challenge of losing his arm, as a devoted husband and father he was thankful to be alive. But a few months after the injury, Chris began suffering from unrelenting chronic pain. The pain was constant and often so intense it felt like lightning bolts were shooting through his amputated arm. He was unable to work, sleep, or function in daily life with his family. Pain medication did little to help and instead caused unbearable side effects. Fortunately, Chris was referred to a nerve surgeon who explained that nerves injured as a result of the amputation were the cause of the pain and recommend surgical nerve repair. During the procedure, several neuromas (a mass of scar tissue within the nerve) that were the source of the pain, were surgically removed. Chris's nerves were then reconstructed by connecting them to nerves located in his shoulder muscle. In order to make that possible, there were large gaps that needed to be bridged. Chris's surgeon used donated tissue (processed nerve allograft) to bridge those gaps and potentially restore normal signals to his brain. After the neuroma removal and surgical nerve repair, and thanks to a donor's gracious gift, he is back to work, back to the baseball field with his four kids, and living pain free.