DUBLIN, Ga. — Six months ago, Laurens County Captain Chris Bracewell wasn't sure if he would ever work again. An off-duty crash in Valdosta almost killed him, after his car collided with a truck when he was driving to get coffee with his brother.
"Took my spleen out. Lost a lot of blood. They put 32 liters of blood in me, and I coded twice in Valdosta," Bracewell said.
He was airlifted to Shands Hospital in Gainsville, Florida for treatment. During CPR, first responders broke eight of his ribs. Bracewell was barely alive.
"You never really know how many people care about you until something happens. Like I said earlier, you know, people in this county have been great to me. I can not have asked for anybody to be as nice to me as the people in this county," Bracewell said.
Support came from everywhere, including the Laurens County Sheriff's Office, where Chief Deputy Stan Wright stepped up to take his friend to and from work every day.
"And he would do the same thing for me. We've worked together going on 38 years now, so it's been a long time," Wright said.
Their support has meant everything to Bracewell, who was captain of the school resource officers. He said he's always loved working with children and shaping young minds.
After his accident, some people said he should just take a rest and retire.
"You ought to go out on disability or social security. I don't wanna do that. I wanna work, I got four more years," Bracewell said.
He's put in the work to get here, with lots of physical therapy at Fairview Park Hospital. His doctor cleared him to go back to work, as long as he doesn't carry a gun or drive a company cruiser quite yet.
"Glad that he's able to come back, and the people in the community have been so good to him everywhere we go. You know, he's getting hugs, and handshakes, and high fives every part we go," Wright said.
Bracewell said he sees those people differently now.
"I used to size people up, look at people, try to judge 'em. Not anymore. I try to talk to 'em," Bracewell said.
That new outlooks is why he prays more, says I love you more, and lives everyday with more gratitude for the gift of life.
"It's just amazing. After I almost died twice, you realize how precious life is. Not just your but everybody's," Bracewell said.
He said right now, it's all about baby steps. Next, he wants to get cleared to drive a work car, and get back to driving his motorcycle outside of work. He said he's extremely grateful to everyone who prayed over him and his family the past six months.