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Three years ago, a 17-year-old construction worker by the name of Loren Schauers was involved in a horrific forklift accident that severed his body in half.

According to reports, he was operating an industrial truck in the city of Wilsall, Montana, during work hours, when he inadvertently swerved the vehicle off of a 50 ft bridge. In a desperate attempt to save his life, he tried to jump out of the falling forklift, but he was unsuccessful because his leg got caught in the seatbelt. Moments after his body hit the ground, the giant forklift landed on top of him. Shortly thereafter, Loren underwent an amputation surgical procedure called a hemicorporectomy. The operation saved his life but it also left him permanently detached from his legs and everything else below his waist.

For many teens, this would have been a demoralizing occurrence that sent them on an emotional downward spiral. But with the help of his wife, Sabia Richie, Loren has remained in good spirits and determined not to let one incident define his entire life. Today, the couple hosts a YouTube channel called “Sabia and Loren,” that depicts what their lives have been like since the infamous accident. The popularity of their documentary-style video posts recently caused an interview with Loren to go viral. Hence, the story behind the brave native of Great Falls, Montana has been circulating in major new outlets all week long.

“I have a very simple life now compared to what it used to be. There’s a lot more laying around than before,” Loren said, in a recent interview with SWNS. “[But] It was about three months after the accident that I finally wrapped my head around how crazy and miraculous it really is for me to be alive.”

According to medical reports, Loren’s life expectancy under his current condition could be anywhere between 24 and 40 years. Nevertheless, he and his wife are simply focused on the near future, which may even include raising foster children.

“We want to travel the world first and then have some kids and teach them to be better people than we are, so a pretty simplistic life,” he declared. “My best advice to anyone going through something like this is that you can’t focus on the things you can’t have and you must live your life to the fullest with what you do have.”