September 18, 2015 at 3:53 p.m.
Journey from the brink of death
One man's story of crisis, recovery and faith
Journey from the brink of death
By By Michael Strasburg-
Breitenfeld works with the Northwoods Restorative Justice program speaking to operating while intoxicated (OWI) offenders as part of their rehabilitation process.
"What we do is we share our stories on how OWI has effected us," Breitenfeld said. "We've got people that have lost loved ones in OWI accidents, we have past offenders who have killed people in OWI accidents and every time we speak we have at least one McNaughton inmate that is currently incarcerated."
Breitenfeld is successful in reaching OWI offenders because his story shows how one individual's decision directly altered the course of a life.
Back in January 2013 Breitenfeld was employed as a taxi driver in Eagle River. One evening, as he was returning to town after dropping off two people, he found himself at the center of a horrific alcohol-related accident.
"I made it about a mile down the road when a driver that was three times over the legal limit came across the center line at 80 mph and hit me head-on," Breitenfeld said. "I was doing 40 so it was equal to a 120 mph head-on collision."
It took firefighters almost two hours to pry Breitenfeld out of the wreck.
"Pretty much the whole lower half of my body was cut off or crushed. My right leg was cut off, my left hip was completely crushed. My legs were all flayed up," Breitenfeld said.
He spent one month in the hospital immediately after the accident and has undergone 10 surgeries since. Remarkably, he is now able to walk on his own two feet with the assistance of a cane. Breitenfeld's current condition, however, was not included in his initial prognosis.
"The doctors told me and my family that they didn't even expect me to survive the first surgery. They told my family, for sure, that one leg was going to be gone, they didn't think they could reattach it," he said. "Then they told my family that if I did come out with any legs I'd never walk again, but I'm the wrong person to tell that to."
Despite his miraculous recovery, some of Breitenfeld's progress is proving to be an uphill battle. The bones in his legs, for example, still haven't healed completely.
"They did reattach one leg, but it is slowly starting to die," Breitenfeld said. "Every day I lose a little bit more feeling in it, but I keep plugging along."
Even if parts of his body are failing, Breitenfeld's faith and willpower have never been stronger.
"I always try to tell people that just because the doctors tell you you're not going to be able to do this again, let it be your will, not the doctors,'" he said. "I'm not saying it happens all the time, but if you work hard enough, if you push hard enough and if you believe that you can do it, you'll get through."
Breitenfeld's story drew local media attention and with that coverage came new opportunities.
Five months after the accident he accepted an offer from Northwoods Restorative Justice to share his story and speak to OWI offenders about the dangers of drunk driving.
As part of his presentation he details different options available to intoxicated bar patrons. However, the main message that he tries to get across is for people to plan their night ahead of time.
"You know you're going to go out drinking, so have a plan to get home safe. Here in the Minocqua area we have two taxi services, there's the safe ride program, there's the good samaritan law ... there's designated drivers. Have a family member come and pick you up," he said.
Breitenfeld has seen firsthand the impact that the program has had on some of the OWI offenders. In some cases, his story has resonated so deeply that he was recognized on the street.
"I had one person come up to me and said that her boyfriend heard me speak and that, thanks to me, he doesn't even think about getting behind the wheel," Breitenfeld said. "He hasn't quit drinking, but he'll either drink at home or make sure he has a ride before going out. That's great when you can hear that."
The Restorative Justice program isn't the only way in which Breitenfeld raises awareness. In partnership with the Faucet of Hope business collaborative, he has recently begun spreading his message of resilience and hope even further.
"On my website right now I'm currently blogging about my story and I've got a book in the works," he said.
In addition to these efforts, Breitenfeld also looks forward to touring the college circuit in the future.
"I like blogging and I think the book is going to make a big impact, but to actually get out there and meet people face to face and tell them my story, I think that's a lot more impactful," he said.
There's no doubt that the most rewarding part of Breitenfeld's efforts stems from his interactions with groups of individuals and OWI offenders. He said can see as he is speaking how his story impacts them and changes their perspective on drunk driving.
"For a lot of them its an eye-opener," he said. "A lot of them haven't had the tragic aspect of an OWI offense happen to them, so they really haven't thought about it. What's nice is that we're all local people, we're real faces. We see public service announcements, and they're great, but they're actors. With us - when we speak - we're a real, local person that this stuff has happened to."
Breitenfeld's complete story about the accident and his recovery, as well as updates regarding his forthcoming book, can be found at www.jasonbreitenfeld.com.
Michael Strasburg may be reached at [email protected].
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