One woman went out of her way to help the victim of a car accident in May and got the surprise of her life a few months later.
The Saturday morning before Mother’s Day, Julie Evans Schaferling was driving down FM1488 at 3 in the morning and came across a tragic scene.
A single car had left the road and ran into a pole. The driver, Caleb Trahan, had been partially thrown out of the car and was in critical condition. Instead of just calling 911 and continuing the down the road, Schaferling did everything she could to help him, with her skills as an ER doctor put to good use.
Schaferling called 911 and gave detailed information to the dispatcher, including that Trahan was trapped. Not only that, but she stayed with him until the entire response team arrived, including the Montgomery County Sheriff, Magnolia Fire Department, and Montgomery County Hospital District.
Once on the scene, the emergency personnel intubated Trahan and got him out of the vehicle. Most people would have left the scene once these professionals were on hand, but not Schaferling. She stuck around until Trahan was taken away in the ambulance.
Schaferling assumed that Trahan had died from his injuries.
After all, he had several broken ribs; broken bones in his legs, arms, and face; a lacerated liver; and a collapsed lung, in addition to extreme blood loss. On his way to the hospital, Trahan had lost his pulse not once, but three times.
As an emergency room doctor, Schaferling was well aware that Trahan’s chances of survival were about zero.
Imagine Schaferling’s surprise when Trahan sent her a friend request on Facebook two months later.
Thanks to Schaferling’s quick thinking and calm response, Trahan managed to pull through. Her husband, Jim Schaferling Jr., was so impressed by the whole turn of events that he posted about it on Facebook.
The story of Julia Evans Schaferling and Caleb Trahan doesn’t end there. It was only fitting that the two meet, particularly now that they would both be fully alert during the encounter.
Trahan shared a heartfelt Facebook post on July 16 expressing his sincere thanks. He described Schaferling as his “new favorite person,” something that doesn’t seem like a stretch at all. As Trahan explained:
“Her hard work and dedication kept me alive long enough so that I was able to be brought to life by the amazing paramedics. This poor woman did not want me to die alone on Mother’s Day and bless her heart.”
Trahan expressed regret that Schaferling did not realize he had pulled through. He finished up his message saying:
“I was very happy to meet you today. Thank you and your family for coming and everything that y’all do.”
Caleb Trahan is taking steps toward recovery.
Trahan finally went home from the hospital in mid-June, posting a photo on Facebook along with the message “I’M A FREE MAN.” However, his struggles aren’t over.
He began a GoFundMe page to help pay off his medical bills and is a third of the way toward reaching his goal at the time of writing this article. He will need several more medical procedures on his path to a complete recovery and is appreciative of any help others can spare.
In the meantime, Trahan is simply happy to be alive, and Schaferling is ecstatic to have made such a difference in someone’s life. We bet they will have a long friendship.
Caleb has also gotten to meet the emergency responders that saved his life and deliver his thanks in person.
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