Life Can Continue

Kody Hancock’s life has been marked by his resilience, strong work ethic, can-do attitude, and determination. It was these character qualities that led to him landing a manufacturing job he was quite proud of. He initially got brought on as a temp, then was hired on full time, only to quickly be promoted to machine operator within a year.  However, one evening while working the machine he operated, an accident occurred that would cause him to be airlifted to Miami Valley Hospital where he would wake up to be told he had lost part of his left hand.

“I was cleaning rollers and trying to get the machine to run. I ran a Thermoformer that made bubble wrap. A Thermoformer is basically a press that melts plastic together and forms bubble wrap rolls. One night, I got my hand caught in between two rollers. I was rushed to the hospital and airlifted to Miami valley hospital where I underwent surgery. I awoke later, and the doctor told me that he had to amputate four of my fingers although he was able to thankfully save the rest of my hand and most of my thumb.”

Kody’s accident was traumatic and as with any incident of limb loss, there were major challenges to be faced. However, the challenges of Kody’s amputation were compounded by the fact that he was left hand dominant. His recovery would require him to relearn skills with his non-dominant hand. Kody had this to say as reflected on some of the challenges he has faced, and the things he has been able to accomplish post amputation. 

“I just want to say to anyone experiencing an amputation or currently going through a traumatic accident, life can still continue. I’ve been through numerous surgeries. I’ve lost count at this point. I will say this it’s not an easy road. It’s going to take a lot of time and patience. But, you can adapt. My primary hand was my left hand. I had to retrain myself to write with my right hand, and I’ve been doing pretty well. I’ve also just recently started drawing and playing guitar again. I went camping by myself just last summer. I put the tent up myself and set up camp… I even started a fire to cook dinner at! Don’t give up, there is still life left to live, there’s still life left to experience! You CAN do this. I believe in you!”