Pocatello Dad Walks Again After Doctors Said Pull the Plug

When a car fell on TJ Liftawi twice in one terrifying accident, crushing him beneath the vehicle he'd spent over a year restoring, doctors told his family to say goodbye. Today, he's walking with a walker and brushing his teeth on his own.

The June 3 accident in Pocatello left the father trapped beneath his car when the jack slipped. Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free him, but the jack failed again during the rescue, sending the vehicle crashing down a second time.

Liftawi went into cardiac arrest. His heart stopped for 10 minutes before paramedics brought him back.

"He was given practically a zero chance of survival," said his cousin Adam Frugoli. "One neurosurgeon even told the family they should pull the plug."

Liftawi spent two weeks in intensive care at Portneuf Medical Center, much of it in a coma. Doctors monitored him closely for brain damage from oxygen deprivation. He also suffered multiple fractured ribs and a spinal fracture.

Then something remarkable started happening. After transferring to a rehabilitation hospital in Utah, Liftawi began defying every medical prediction.

He opened his eyes. He started responding. He began to remember things.

"Now he's making it," Frugoli said. "He's not out of the woods, but he's making such incredible strides. He's standing and walking with a walker, brushing his teeth, remembering things and can count to 100."

Why This Inspires

Frugoli had never given a religious blessing before, but at his cousin's lowest moment, he felt compelled to try. Family and friends across the country joined prayer chains, sending hope from near and far.

"It has changed my outlook on faith," Frugoli said. "God, or whatever higher power someone believes in, hears us."

Liftawi's mother has stayed by his side almost constantly since the accident, rarely leaving the rehabilitation facility. The family created a GoFundMe to help with mounting medical costs as they celebrate each small victory.

Every step Liftawi takes with his walker represents another medical impossibility overcome, another reason to believe in second chances.