Flora reunited with nurse who saved his life

On
May, 9, 2015, Mitch Piotrowski was heading home with his family to Flora after
spending the evening in Lafayette celebrating his daughter’s 15th
birthday. He and his family came upon a wreck at SR26 and SR75. Piotrowski
pulled over to help. He remembers there being a lot of smoke but that is about
all he remembers. Another passing vehicle hit him and the man he was aiding,
sending Piotrowski 20 feet into the air, landing in a ditch 75 feet from the
road. 

Indiana University
Health LifeLine received the call at 10:33 pm, arrived on the scene at 11:05 pm
and performed lifesaving measures on Piotrowski. By 11:54 pm, Piotrowski was at
IU Health Methodist being treated for a lacerated kidney, three broken ribs, a
broken arm, a broken jaw, a broken orbital and head injuries.

Recently,
Piotrowski reached out on Facebook to thank the team who saved his life. IU
Health LifeLine made arrangements for him to be reunited with Dawn Jones, the
nurse who saved his life that night.

The two were
finally connected on Sunday, March 3 at the IU Health LifeLine hangar at Purdue
University Airport. Piotrowski was accompanied by his wife, Mary Jo and his
daughter Mary Beth. Many tears were shed and many hugs were shared. Piotrowski
and his family cannot say thank you enough.

“I don’t
take anything for granted these days,” stated Piotrowski. “I appreciate
everything IU Health did to save my life. You now have an entire family loyal
to IU Health for all our healthcare needs. Life is truly something to be
celebrated.”

The West Central
Region is lucky to have an established IU Health LifeLine critical air and
ground transport stationed at the Purdue University Airport. It allows the critical
care team to respond to accidents in our rural areas quickly, providing
life-saving measures. Patients can be transported quickly and safely to the
hospital best suited for their needs.