Living through the explosion

By Barbara Brown
Life for Jim Gordy was just fine until Sept. 26, 2002. He and his long-time girlfriend were set to buy a house near his parentís home in Stacy.
His company was thriving and he had almost too much work.
That morning, Gordy and his friend Scott Hinz, 24, were working on a flat tire on a Bobcat, getting ready to start work for the day. Gordy said he was not nervous about repairing the hole in the tire.
He had done it dozens of times in the past.

Starting a career
Gordy, now 24, started his professional career working in retail for a while, but he decided he wanted an outdoor job. He started working in hardscape at 18 and at 19, Gordy bought his first dump truck -- not really a typical vehicle purchase for a young adult.
In his second year of employment with a hardscape company from the Twin Cities, Gordy began working side jobs. Eventually, Gordy broke out on his own and with support and help from his parents, Gordyís Landscape was born. The company specialized in patios, retaining walls (also called hardscaping) and sodding with customized landscape options available.
ìDad helped a lot with and supported me all the way,î Gordy said. ìInstead of a college fund, he put up a little money to get me started.î
At 22, after nearly three years on his own, Gordy bought a used Greyhound bus that he converted into a tour bus for events and then he bought a limousine that he started to refurbish.
Little did he know he may have to rely on those two vehicles for his livelihood in a matter of a couple years.
Gordyís Landscape bought the contract to remove the old Olson Power and Equipment pole building that burned down last year. He and his workers tore down and removed the building to his Stacy property, where Gordy planned to use viable sections for a storage building. He had jobs coming in and plenty of help from friends who needed summer time work to get them college money and even from a favorite North Branch High School teacher, John Gunderson, who earned extra money in the summers.

ìI relive it every dayî
As he started reaming out the hole to prepare it for a patch, Gordyís life changed. The flammable tire sealant, which Gordy had sprayed into the tire some time prior to the damage, sparked and the 12-ply, rim guarded tire exploded.
Shards of rubber and bits of metal from the track around the Bobcatís tires flew at Gordy. His arms were sky-bound until they were stopped by the undercarriage of the earth-moving machine.
Gordy was knocked backwards off his feet nearly 20 feet. His friend Hinz, who was standing about five feet from the machine, was thrown 15 feet.
The explosion was heard nearly two miles away by people who told Gordy after the fact that they were at Timís County Cupboard when they heard it.
Gordy was blinded from the bits of metal and rubber that flew into his face.
His doctors would later tell him the number of particles in his eyes were too many to count, so they left the numbers at 500 in his right eye and 1,000 in his left.
Wes Ruddy, one of Gordyís neighbors came to the Gordy home as soon as he heard the explosion.
Hinz called 911 and before Gordy knew what he was doing, he had run to the back of the house and dunked his head and arms in water from a rain bucket on his face, which was burning from the chemicals in the tire sealant.
Jimmy Nelson, a first responder was at Timís Country Cupboard at the time of the accident andÝreceived an emergency page on his beeper and headed down the road. The first responders found Gordy conscious, but blind.
They cut off his clothing, which had begun to melt to his skin from the chemicals in the tire sealant.
ìI was coherent the whole time,î Gordy said. ìThey asked me all kinds of questions about who I was and what happened. I told them everything. I remember it all. I relive it every day.î
Gordy said once he was safely loaded on to the ambulance, he asked the emergency crew to tell him a joke. No one could.
Gordy was conscious until the ambulance got to Wyoming, and he doesnít remember anything until he woke up some time Monday, Sept. 30 in Regents Hospital in St. Paul where he had been taken immediately after the accident.
During the time he was unconscious, Gordy underwent several surgeries to scrap his eyes and face to remove particles that had been imbedded in them. He still has to go through a few more eye surgeries, but a solitary piece of rubber, about an eighth of an inch long lays as a visible reminder in the side of his cheek.
It wasnít until a week and a half after the accident did any doctor try to entertain Gordy with a joke. He said it felt good to laugh.
Meanwhile, Gordyís friend Scott Hinz was recovering from the ringing in his ears and minor burn he received to one half of his face. He looked like heíd fallen asleep in the sun with one side of his face to the sky, Gordy said.

Massive injuries
Gordyís left arm was shattered and had to have eight plates and nine screws put in to hold it together; his right arm was broken in three places; all five fingers on his right hand had been broken and the knuckles were shattered.
Both Gordyís wrists were broken and he doesnít know exactly how much metal is in his right hand because the majority of the bones in his hand had to be replaced.
Gordyís left hand was so swollen, and all the bones were so destroyed, the doctors had to slice it open and leave it exposed for five days to allow the swelling to go down before they couldÝattempt surgery. Gordy said his doctors told him the bones in his left hand were so pulverized they looked like gravel. His left hand was replaced with metal parts.
Gordy said the doctors were going to focus their recovery attention on his left arm because they feared he would have no use of his right arm. He said after excruciating therapy, he got his right hand moving about one month ago and he has more movement in his arms than doctors ever expected. He spends three hours each day soaking his hand in hot wax and stretching it so his muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments donít atrophy.
Although Gordy has made a remarkable recovery, he still has a long way to go and a lot of medical bills to pay. Gordy did not have health insurance. ìI donít even know what the bills are now, but they are in the hundreds of thousands and still growing.î
To help Gordy pay his medical expenses, his friends hosted a benefit dinner and party that saw more than 600 in the Lent Town Hall at one time two weeks ago.
Gordy was so touched by the outpouring of love and support. He relayed the eveningís events as tears formed on the edge of his lower eyelid. One family friend allowed cuts to his beard - his pride and joy to be auctioned to the highest bidder. After 23 years, Mike Sparksí beard sold for $200.
A lot of money was raised, but Gordy said he would give it all back if family and friends who came to some disagreements that night could put it all behind them and get along again. ìI couldnít say thank you enough to everybody. I would give it all back to get these people to talk and get along again because that is worth a lot more to me than any gifts, presents or money.î

Moving on
ìPretty unfortunate things happen to people every day,î Gordy said, ìand I am just fortunate to be here.î
Doctors told Gordy a man his age and size can produce 180 to 240 pounds of pressure in his hands. Right now, he has about 80 pounds of power in his left hand and less than 10 in his right. Gordyís Landscape will be closed this season, he said. One of the interlocking blocks he uses to make retaining walls weighs 80 pounds on its own.
Despite the weakness of the handshake, Gordy is no less apt to offer his hand and a warm smile when he meets someone new.
ìItís all in your mind,î Gordy said of his recovery. ìIf you think you can do it, you can do it.î

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