#15

When John Thompson was 18 years old, both of his arms were ripped off by a spinning power takeoff shaft on his father's farm in North Dakota. It is estimated that fewer than 10 people have had successful arm reattachments, so Thompson is very lucky. He credits this luck to his surgeon, Allen Van Beek. The doctor grew up in North Dakota as well, and can relate to this particular patient because he was run over by a tractor when he was thirteen. All of Van Beek's hard work on John Thompson and many others has paid off, because this week he was one of the Sioux Award recipients. This award recognizes great accomplishments made by UND alumni, and is very much deserved. Thompson overcame the odds of him having two arms again, much less partially functioning ones. Miracles can happen to ordinary people, and in this case a tragic accident turned into something to celebrate.


Walsh, Paul. "Twin Cities Reconstructive Surgeon Honored". Star Tribune. 19 October 2008. 22 March 2009.
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