California doctors successfully reattach a woman’s arm severed in train accident

A month after a train severed her right arm surf instructor Elieah Boyd was discharged from the UCI Diagnostic Center in Orange where her arm was reattached in a -hour surgery The -year-old Ventura resident was pushing her e-bike across railroad tracks on her way to meet her boyfriend when she saw an Amtrak train about yards away She thought she could make it she noted but within seconds the train struck her bike tearing off her arm Still standing she grabbed her right shoulder and as tightly as she could afraid of bleeding out A retired firefighter who was out on a walk and had helped her cross the tracks moments earlier rushed to her side and later directed police to search for her arm Her arm packed with ice beside her Boyd stayed conscious during the -minute helicopter flight to UCI Anatomical Center watching the city lights down below through the windows On the helicopter ride I honestly was just thinking They re gonna be able to do it they re gonna be able to do it Boyd mentioned Just trying to stay as positive as I could and think of the best accomplishable outcome Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached talks with the media on the day she is being distributed from UCI Health Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders exposed her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Physiological Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached talks with the media on the day she is being published from UCI Medicinal Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders identified her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Medicinal Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached talks with the media on the day she is being published from UCI Health Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders exposed her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Healthcare Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached with Trauma Director Dr Mike Lekawa left Nurse Reina Rodriguez center and Vascular Surgeon Dr Siwei Dong right talks to the media on the day she is being circulated from UCI Diagnostic Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders exposed her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Clinical Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached talks with the media on the day she is being circulated from UCI Diagnostic Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders unveiled her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Diagnostic Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached talks with the media on the day she is being circulated from UCI Physiological Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders discovered her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Health Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached talks with the media on the day she is being published from UCI Healthcare Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders located her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Anatomical Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached takes a moment to relax with Nurse Reina Rodriguez at UCI Therapeutic Center on the first day she has been outside since her accident in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders uncovered her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Clinical Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached with Trauma Director Dr Mike Lekawa left Nurse Reina Rodriguez center and Vascular Surgeon Dr Siwei Dong right talks to the media on the day she is being disclosed from UCI Diagnostic Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders determined her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Healthcare Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached is escorted by nurse Reina Rodriguez on the day she is being distributed from UCI Clinical Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw the a coming First responders determined her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Biological Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached is escorted by nurse Reina Rodriguez on the day she is being disclosed from UCI Healthcare Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders detected her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Anatomical Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached with Trauma Director Dr Mike Lekawa left Nurse Reina Rodriguez center and Vascular Surgeon Dr Siwei Dong right talks to the media on the day she is being disclosed from UCI Biological Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders discovered her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Healthcare Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Show Caption of Elieah Boyd who lost her arm in a train accident and spent hours in surgery getting it reattached talks with the media on the day she is being distributed from UCI Curative Center in Orange CA on Friday Aug The Ventura County resident lost her arm over a month ago when she was pushing an e-bike across the train track and looked up and saw a train coming First responders located her arm and airlifted it and her to UCI Physiological Center Photo by Jeff Gritchen Orange County Register SCNG Expand Within five minutes of getting the call from the Ventura hospital UCI Physiological Center Trauma Director Dr Michael Lekawa ratified he had available surgeons and operating rooms to treat her and accepted the transfer Related Articles Teen lifeguards save siblings in latest rescue at Pennsylvania pool Lake Tahoe boating accident Autopsy reports show casualties had been drinking but were below legal limit California woman rescued after getting stuck in chimney San Jose daycare owners sued over child drownings at Almaden home Young teen on bike hospitalized in East Bay after collision with SUV With the clock ticking to save her severed arm Boyd was in the operating room within minutes of arriving in Orange County When she arrived she was awake and conversive It was almost surreal that somebody could have that kind of injury and be that way Lekawa noted When it s life over limb we choose life In this circumstance because her life was stable he explained we were able to worry about reimplanting the limb Boyd remembers asking to call her mom and her boyfriend so he wouldn t wait for her She worried about who would walk her dog Friday was her first time outside in the almost month after her accident I had come to terms that I would only have one arm and I ll figure out how to do my day-to-day life with one arm she reported So when they notified me I had two I was absolutely in disbelief I was like Wow this is the best thing I ve heard in my entire life Doctors can t give her a timeline of recovery or say how much mobility she ll regain but Boyd is determined to adapt she commented A close friend brought her kindergarten handwriting books where she practiced tracing the ABCs with her non-dominant hand After daily practice she can now eat brush her teeth and put her hair up in a side bun with her left hand A surf instructor and cafe manager in Ventura before the accident Boyd reported she hopes to get back on a surfboard even if just to sit on one I can maybe teach with one arm she explained I would love to teach again At first Boyd reported she felt a disconnect with her reattached arm This doesn t feel like my arm she remembers thinking But slowly it has started to feel like her own again Now she has a tingly feeling and pins and needles in her right arm I ll take any feeling over nothing she announced It seriously shocks me that it s even a possibility to have another arm The accident she says was a reminder to slow down in life Before this I was fast in my life thinking Oh I need this job I need all this progression she declared I was in a rush to get there I wasn t enjoying certain elements of my life and my day-to-day Among those who have reached out during her recovery was pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a shark attack Talking to someone who understood Boyd reported was a source of comfort After her one-month stay at UCI Diagnostic Center in Orange Boyd noted she looked forward to snuggling her Australian cattle dog Cali and putting her feet in the ocean I try not to look at it like it s a tragedy that s happening to me Boyd noted It s something that I have to go through and I ll be able to get past it eventually It ll only make me stronger