Injured Fort Worth, TX, Firefighter Sets Goals as Recovery Continues
Fort Worth Firefighter Caleb Halverson is on a mission to accomplish two goals.
One would be to crawl on the floor with his young son. The other would return to duty as a firefighter.
Halverson was seriously injured last year battling a garage fire. Pinned by a beam, he was unable to reach his radio. However, fellow firefighters located and rescued him, according to KDFW.
He spent 34 days in Parkland Hospital after suffering third-degree burns and a serious leg injury. Meanwhile, at another hospital, his son, Hudson, was in a fight of his own after being born 13 weeks premature, weighing one pound, nine ounces.
Halverson was home when his tiny record-setting son was released. Hudson now holds two records -- the one with smallest birthweight and the longest stay in the NICU.
The injured firefighter, who once faced denial for his worker's comp case, still faces a long journey.
He's undergone 12 surgeries and goes to physical therapy three times a week. He balks at his doctor's opinion that his knee bending at 90 degrees is a win.
"It's not a win in my head, if that makes sense. You know, like a win for me is getting back on the truck, like playing with my son, being able to crawl on the floor with him and be active with him."
About the Author
Susan NicolSusan Nicol
News Editor
Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.