At the youthful age of 26, Timothy Quebedeaux's legs were severed by a front-end loader while he was working for a Morgan city company. He lost 300 units of blood and even remembers hearing his last rites read to him...twice.

After a lengthy hospital recovery and having to re-master everyday activities, what does the now 34-year old have to say about the grueling ordeal? "It has changed my life for the positive.

"You can't stop - life goes on. Going into the 'poor me' mode isn't healthy. "After my injury, some folks told me I should sit back, collect my comp benefits and go fishing all day. But you know, anything you do for 40 hours a week is work. So I said to myself, 'Why not go back to work for real?'

"I mean, if I could learn to drive my Jeep with a golf putter and launch my fishing boat alone, I could work. So that's exactly what I did. LWCC provided job training for me in electronics, and I'm now a technician for a cellular sales and service company. I love my job, and I know it was the right choice.

"Don't get me wrong, I was a bit scared about starting to work again. But family and friends, like my LWCC nurse, Bernadette, have supported me through it all. She's been like family to me, helping with doctor appointments as well as getting me the tools I needed to get around. LWCC has also been there to pay my medical bills and replace part of the wages I earned before the accident. But in the end it was up to me.

"Life is what you make of it. If you stay positive, there's no limit to what you can do...I think one day I'd like to open up my own business repairing fishing rods and reels."