Bracewell’s Battle to Survive

A Trauma Patient Testimonial from SGMC Health

In October 2023, Laurens County Sheriff’s Department Captain Chris Bracewell was involved in an off-duty car accident that changed his life forever. The morning of October 15, he was stopping for his regular morning cup of coffee when his truck collided with another. He doesn’t remember anything about the events of that day. 
 
Emergency Medical Services in Brooks County responded to the wreck, where Chris was in critical condition.  
 
He was transported by ambulance to SGMC Health Main, the nearest Level III Trauma Center. His injuries were so severe that the team considered lifeflighting him to a Level I facility, but the weather conditions were unsafe to do so. 
 
While Chris was in transport to the hospital, the emergency team activated its trauma protocol. The nurses, emergency medicine doctors, trauma team, laboratory, and surgeon were ready and waiting on him to perform further lifesaving measures. 
 
When he arrived, Chris’ injuries were substantial. He had eight broken ribs, a brain injury, lacerations to his liver and spleen, and a retroperitoneal bleed. He experienced such severe bleeding that he required 63 units of blood product. 
 
He was rushed into emergency surgery. His spleen was removed, and the surgeon worked to stabilize him. In the aftermath, he had two episodes of cardiac arrest, where his heart stopped pumping blood. The trauma team worked together efficiently to address these medical emergencies and keep Chris alive. 
 
When Chris had been stabilized and the weather cleared, he was transported via helicopter from SGMC Health to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, for further treatment, including several more surgeries. From there, he was transferred to Regency Hospital in Macon, Georgia. Through this journey, he lost 30 pounds.

A month and a half after the accident, he was able to begin his rehabilitation journey back in Laurens County. Six months after the accident, Chris returned to work at the Sheriff’s Department. A true miracle indeed. 
 
On June 25, 2024, Chris returned to SGMC Health to thank the team that saved his life. As he entered the room full of team members who took care of him, he was overcome with emotion in the room full of names and faces he does not even remember. “I want y’all to know that y’all were the main ones that kept me here,” he shared. 
 
“Whatever it took, y’all did it, and I appreciate everything y’all have done for me,” said Chris. “I don’t know how I could ever repay each and every one of you. There’s no way I could pay you back.” 
 
He went around the room of 30+ people and gave each person a warm hug and a sincere thank you.  
 
“It is very humbling to have a family that allows us to be such a huge part of both your care and recovery, and we’re very thankful for that,” shared Emily Brown, Director of EMS and Trauma Services at SGMC Health. “The people you see in this room, they work hard every day but rarely do we get an opportunity to see what happens when you recover.”