The Weatherford Grass Burr (Weatherford, Tex.), Vol. 69, No. 4, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 31, 1990 Page: 6 of 12
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c 6 - News
Student makes history with
lifesaving heart operation
By Jennifer Hall
Reporter
A surgery performed on senior Eric O’Rear
proved to be the second successful pnemop-
ericardium surgery done in the United States.
Dr. Stephen Hudgens, a heart specialist at
Harris Hospital in Fort Worth, performed the
surgery. He is writing a book about the success
of the surgery and how he performed it.
O’Rear and junior Kevin Hatch left the
high school Oct. 13 around 4 p.m. on their way
to Hulen Mall. Little did they know that their
lives would change forever.
The pair were driving east on Interstate 20
in Hatch’s Toyota 4x4, when Hatch lost con-
trol of the truck. The Toyota caught the gravel
and flipped approximately seven times. O ’Rear
fell out on the first roll and Hatch fell out on the
second. They slid many feet and were spread
yards apart. O’Rear lost consciousness and
Hatch went into shock.
“I don’t remember any events of the day,
but when it happened, the paramedics said
Kevin kept screaming and screaming,” O’Rear
said.
Care Flight of Dallas rushed to the sight
and carried the two to Harris Hospital.
“Care Flight of Dallas came right away
when someone at the scene called and told
them the wreck was a ten car pile-up, and
that’s what helped save my life,” O’Rear said.
Both of O’Rear’s lungs had collapsed, and
fluid was streaming into the sack around his
heart. He was dying.
Philip and Laurel O’Rear, Eric’s parents,
called for Hudgens to perform the surgery. As
soon as the doctor arrived, he felt there was no
time to send O’Rear to the operating room so
the surgery was completed on the spot in
O’Rear’s room.
Hudgens performed a cardiac tamponade,
which released the fluid around the sack.
O’Rear’s heart began to beat once again.
After the surgery, O’Rear spent three
months in the hospital. He still suffers from a
broken wrist, which requires therapy three
times a week.
“I give God total credit for my life, and I’m
just glad things turned out the way they did
because it could have been a lot worse,”
O’Rear said.
O ’Rear is expected to retumto school soon.
“I am so ready to go back. You’d be sur-
prised how much you miss school and friends
after just three months,” he said.
Victim returns, accused found innocent
By Jennifer Hall
Reporter
Almost five months after a car wreck left
him paralyzed from the neck down, Joel
Watson has finally returned to school.
Before returning to school, Watson testi-
fied in a three day trial where the person
accused of causing the wreck was found inno-
cent.
Gary Louis Brazzell, 23, the driver of the
vehicle, was charged with driving while in-
toxicated, and it was his second offense.
On Aug. 25, Watson and his friends were
traveling on Clear Lake road when Brazzell
stopped them and got into the car.
“He just kind of showed up and got in the
car. He turned the car around and headed
toward Fort Worth,” Watson said.
Watson says he doesn’t remember much
about the wreck, but he does believethey were
traveling about 85 miles per hour.
They exited at Lake Shore Drive and hit a
curve too fast. The jeep flipped approximately
four times, according to Watson.
Watson was thrown from the car and hit a
road sign, which instantly paralyzed him.
The police took a blood sample from
Brazzell. According to Watson, it couldn’t be
used in court because it was left in a officer’s
trunk over the weekend and spoiled. Because
the sample spoiled, there was no evidence to
convict Brazzell for driving while intoxicated.
Throughout it all, Watson says he is in high
spirits and glad to be back in school.
“I can’t even begin to say how thankful I am
to the school for what they’ve done and how
glad I am to be back,” he said.
Get Your
STUDENT DISCOUNT CARD
AT
/$i\
6
Grundy's
1. Nugget Dinner with small drink
Choice of any three:
2. Country Steak Dinner with small drink
3. 2 Piece Chicken Dinner with small drink
$3.25
After three months, senior Eric O'Rear Is once again up and about.
Weatherford
College
308 E. Park
Weatherford, Texas
complete academic and
vocational curriculum
4-day class week
1-year certificate and 2-year
degree programs
Ask your high school counselor about
Weatherford College or phone:
(817) 594-5471
c
Weatherford Grass Burr
Tanuarv 31 1990
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The Weatherford Grass Burr (Weatherford, Tex.), Vol. 69, No. 4, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 31, 1990, newspaper, January 31, 1990; Weatherford, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1146522/m1/6/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Weatherford High School.