The first time I ever thought someone needed a Bad to the Bone Award was in 2001 when I heard about the story of Jesse Arbogast. Jesse was a 7 year old boy that summer, who, while swimming at the beach, was attacked by a shark. The shark bit off his right arm--it was really a horrible incident. BUT GET THIS. Jesse's uncle, upon seeing what's happening in the shallow waters, wades into the ocean and wrestles the 7 foot long bull shark to shore. At that point, a ranger shoots the shark and they were able to retrieve Jesse's arm.
Jesse's life was miraculously saved, although the reports I could find online say that he has never fully recovered from his injuries. But I just have to say, HATS OFF to Jesse's uncle. Any dude who, in the midst of such trauma and panic, wrestles a shark onto the shore is seriously Bad to the Bone.
Today I read this story about an Aussie country doctor who saved a boy's life by drilling a hole in his head with a Black and Decker drill. Apparently, the 13 year old boy had been riding his bike without a helmet and fallen, hitting his head on the pavement. He seemed fine initially, but after awhile it was obvious to his mother that he wasn't well. She brought him into the local hospital, a rural one that isn't as equipped as one would be in a major city.
The doctor on duty, a GP named Dr. Rob Carson, recognized that the boy was bleeding on the brain and that the pressure needed to be relieved immediately or he would die. This hospital didn't have a neurosurgical drill so he went to the maintenance closet and got a regular old drill. Consulting a Melbourne neurosurgeon by phone, he drilled a hole in the boy's skull and a blood clot came out. The boy was up and about by the next day. Amazing!
Dr. Carson, you are truly Bad to the Bone. Good on ya!
Jason always tells about an old diving coach of his who, after diving from the tower, over-corrected and smacked the water on her back so hard that her swimsuit was ripped and she had welts everywhere. And then? Yeah, she got back up there. Serious badness quotient! And then there's the 86 year old granny on her way home from church who beat up a man trying to mug her.
TO THE BONE, Y'ALL. To the bone. Do you know anyone who is the Baddest person around? Maybe they didn't wrestle a bull shark, but whose badness level just blows you away? Inspire us!
Those are great stories. How about Capt. Sullenberger who landed a plane perfectly in the Hudson River in NY and saved 155 people.
ReplyDeleteDuh--of course!! Truly *astounding* badness levels there. Thanks for that--he is way, way up there!
ReplyDeleteGood stuff! The drill story was crazy!
ReplyDeleteThat poster=perfection.
And Clint, oh man, do I love me some Clint. So thanks for that. ;)
I just saw the story of the doctor drilling the boy's head on MSNBC this morning. Incredible ! Now, I have one for you that is truly "bad to the bone." In 2003 a young man named Aron Ralston was hiking in the canyon country of Utah. His arm got trapped by an 800 pound boulder while he was in a narrow deep canyon-impossible to be seen from above. He was trapped for five days, filmed his death message to his parents, and then cut off his right arm at the elbow with a pocket knife. He then climbed 65 feet straight up the canyon wall and walked miles in the desert where he found a family out sightseeing.He is alive today.
ReplyDeleteMom took mine--the hiker who cut off his hand. And so funny that you post this, because for some reason, I was thinking about him as soon as I woke up this morning. Weird, huh? I remember hearing that he is leading backcountry tours now.
ReplyDeleteBut if I can't pick him, I'll second Michele R's. I saw Sully on Larry King, and heard the tapes of him talking to the air traffic controllers, and wow. Badass.
Oh, and I think my husband is the world's baddest mo'.
I would nominate the countless and nameless African-American parents who, in the depths of the jim crow and segregation years in the US gave their lives, day-by-day, to provide for their children in the face of every obstacle that man's inhumanity to man could put in their path. (buzz-kill, uh?)
ReplyDeleteAfter that, I'd suggest Sir Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer. His exploits are too lengthly to lay out here, but I'd recommend his Wikipedia article.
Yea, I don't always read too many news articles like that but I read that one about Dr Rob Carson, amazing man and amazing team of people who saved that boy's life! wow!
ReplyDeletedon't have any other gory (oops i meant brave:)) stories to share though at the moment.
Gory is not the point, Rosemary! ;)
ReplyDeleteWow, Dad. You got a point, even if it IS a bit of a buzzkill!
Keep 'em coming, y'all!
I am ashamed of not having also listed as "bad to the bone" the defiant Americans on Flight 93 who chose death on their own terms rather than being slaughtered by terrorists for their ends.
ReplyDeleteThe drill in the skull just gives me the ebbie jebbies. Let's hope that that doesn't like become a regular medical practice.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, my mom saw a motorcycle accident happen, literally like right in front of her eyes, and the guy was bleeding very badly and without hesitation she administered CPR. The EMT's couldn't believe it. She's seriously bad to the bone.
Crystal, your mom is a rock star.
ReplyDeleteAnd Dad--YES that is badness to the nth degree.
I have to say also that I was thinking that my own hubby is pretty stinkin' bad. This is a man who will let me go gallivanting while he takes care of the kids and house, will tell people what they don't want to but really need to hear in a gracious way, gets up early in winter to build me a fire every morning, and is pretty much always optimistic. Oh-and he does standing back flips too. That's what I call bad to the bone in everyday life.