Chris Morton

“I love you. I can’t breathe and I’m going to die.”

Those were Chris Morton’s words on Sept. 6, 2016, to his wife Maddy, as his face changed colors from lack of oxygen. Seconds before, Chris had been under a truck, fixing its transmission when without warning the 6,000-pound truck fell off its blocks, pinning the 36-year-old.

Maddy called 911 while nearby family and friends, including a woman nine months pregnant, tried to lift the truck off Chris.

“Every time they tried, I was able to budge a little and gasp for air,” Chris said.

Eventually, someone grabbed a floor jack raising the truck off Chris. He was unconscious and critically injured, but came to in an ambulance in time to hear the EMT radio Kaweah Health Medical Center.

“He said, ‘He’s no longer dead, he’s breathing on his own. Cancel last call,’” Chris said. “I asked him where he was taking me. He said, ‘We’re taking you to the best trauma center in town.’”

Kaweah Health's trauma team got to work. The weight of the truck had caused Chris’ brain to bleed, so the team quickly performed a CT scan to rule out internal bleeding. Chris ended up with seven broken ribs, several bruised organs, two shoulder fractures, two ruptured lungs and external bruising.

Chris is thankful for Kaweah Health's trauma designation. “I’m glad they were there,” he said.