Johathan Metz, the man who cut off most of his arm after he became stuck in a basement furnace, is ready to talk about the ordeal.
At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Metz, 31, of West Hartford, and his doctor will shares his incredible story of courage during a news conference on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
It's been a week since the ordeal that ended when a friend went to check on Metz after not hearing from him for a few days.
Doctors at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford say Metz saved his own life by almost completely amputating his own arm.
Metz’s parents have been by his side since getting the call from the hospital that alerted them to their son's situation. On Monday, Metz's mother, Anne, described the roller coaster of emotion they have been on for almost a week.
"From is he alive? To yes, he's alive. To is he injured? Yes he's injured. To what is the injury?" Jonathan’s mother said.
For two-and-a-half days, he was trapped, with his arm lodged in the furnace. He cut his arm while struggling to become free. Metz's parents say he tended to it by applying a tourniquet, first with his shirt, then with wire that was within reach.
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At some point during Metz’s three-day ordeal in the cellar, he could tell an infection was setting in and made the decision to begin amputating his own arm. He was nearly able to remove it and doctors say doing so likely saved his life because it released toxins that were building up.
Metz’s parents did not seem surprised that their son was able to act under difficult situations.
"He's always been a very focused person who's got a clear head and, when faced with any sort of challenge, he takes up the challenge, develops a plan and carries it out," his father, Paul Metz, said.
As Metz recovers, his parents are marveling at the generosity being shown to their son, including the donation of a brand new heating system.
An East Hartford company provided a new furnace and boiler for free and installed it on Monday.
Michael Allen said his company’s thoughts are with Metz and they hope that he bounces back.
Metz has been hospitalized at St. Francis Hospital since he was rescued on Wednesday, underwent multiple surgeries and has been released from the ICU.
As Metz recovers, doctors have been showing him the strides that have been made in prosthetics. Metz’s parents say their son is keeping an upbeat attitude about his future.
"He's done some reading about the war soldiers coming home that have had amputations, and he's very positive about what this new arm can do, the “bionic arm,” he calls it," Anne Metz said.
Metz’s parents also said his wit and humor are as intact as ever.
When his mother commented how nice the hospital staff has been, his response was:
"He said that's because they want my repeat business. I have three more limbs," Anne Metz said.
