PFC Phillip M. "Pete" McDonald
lost his leftt foot in a hunting accident,
in Reilly Springs, in southern Hopkins
County, in June 1951.
"A Soldier's Story Ends
With Limbs For Life"
by: Bobby McDonald
Joyce McDonald, right, widow of Pete McDonald, donates three of his artificial limbs to the
"Limbs of Life" program, so that they can be used by others in need of mobility.
It all began on an summer day in June of 1951, when PFC Phillip M. "Pete" McDonald, was home on leave from the U.S. Army, during the Korean Conflict. Making the most of a his trip back to Hopkins County, he decided to spend an afternoon fishing, and went to the closet to retrieve a 12-guage shotgun, so he could kill a rabbit for fish bait. He was combing the woods near his Reilly Springs home, in Southern Hopkins County, when he stumbled to the ground, after tripping on a hidden piece of barb-wire, strung between two trees and covered in grass and weeds. The gun "went off" and the shot penetrated his left foot.
Knowing he was in trouble and in extreme pain, he removed his belt and applied a tourniquet to his upper leg and gritting his teeth, managed to hobble out to the lane that wound its way to the country home. He yelled for his father and after what seemed like hours, he was finally heard. His father drove the family pick-up down the lane and learned what had happened. Scared, the father began driving his son to the hospital in Sulphur Springs, some twelve to fifteen miles away. PFC McDonald, seeing that his father was driving eratic and fearful that he'd never make it to town, encourage his dad to pull-over at a neighbors house.
PFC McDonald is shown, second from left, during basic training at Ft. Leonardwood,
Missouri, prior to the accident.
"I remember Mr. Dan McDonald running to the door of our house and yelling at the top of his lungs," remembered the neighbor, Polly McKay. "I immediately helped him transfer Pete to the back seat of my new car and wrapped the foot in two handmade quilts, and I proceeded to drive him to the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital. It seemed that time crawled, as we made our way over rough, dirt, country roads and finally made it to the highway. We never slowed down!"
Upon arrival at Hopkins County Memorial Hospital, following a trip through town with the horn of the automobile making a way through the traffic, PFC McDonald had lost so much blood that it had soaked the two quilts, and filled the floor well of the automobile. "I knew we had just barely gotten him to medical attention in time," related Polly McKay, years later. "Because when they unloaded Pete from the car, blood ran out the door of the car!"
McDonald stayed in Hopkins County Memorial Hospital until a brother, Eugene McDonald, managed to contact the U.S. Army and have him transfered to an Army Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. McDonald would lay flat of his back, for four months, before his foot healed, following a gangrene infection and confinement to the hospitals that were void of air conditioning at the time.
PFC Phillip M. McDonald, shown on crutches, as his leg healed, before being fitted for a
prosthesis.
Upon, being able to walk on the foot, with the aid of crutches, McDonald's foot continued to break, as the bones in the foot were shattered by the shot. Despite numerous surgeries, they were unable to save his left foot. That's when McDonald had to make one of the most difficult decisions in his life, but on the advice of U.S. Army surgeons, he finally agreed to let them amputate his left foot. They removed the foot and used the heel area as a cushion at the end of the "stump." McDonald had another three months of extensive recovery in the army hospital, before the leg healed.
Following months of recuperation and healing, he was finally fitted for a prosthesis. The original ones were made of leather and laced-up, over two cotton socks, that fitted over the leg. A"ball joint" attached the foot and allowed more movement. Hours of therapy and a leave from the army to come home and learn how to use the prosthesis was perscribed, and McDonald found himself back in Hopkins County, attempting to learn to walk. "They certainly knew what they were doing, but one of the hardest parts of the recovery was to come home, crippled and having to face family and friends and deal with the handicap," remembered McDonald. "It was much easier to deal with around people that you didn't know, than those whom you had known always. But, the therapist knew that if I could function at home, I would be prepared for anything!"
McDonald learned to use the leg and having been a former basketball star at Reilly Springs High School, was soon found playing basketball, and attempting almost anything he'd done before the accident. "I finally made-up my mind that my foot was never growing back, so I had to make the best of what I'd been dealt," explained McDonald. "And, likely that's why I developed the attitude of proving to everyone that I could do anything they could do and more, with my prosthesis!"
PFC McDonald is shown, second from right, with others in recovery at Ft. Camel, Kentucky's Army
Hospital, before being "sent home" to learn to function in life, with a prosthesis.
McDonald lived in Hopkins County for approximately 58 more years, passing away in May of 2008, and rose every morning and put on the prosthesis, the minute he got out of bed. Periodically, he would go to Hanger Limbs in Dallas for another fitting, and at the time of his death, the new technologies had improved the designs of the artificial legs. They were made of hard plastic and new features were added as technology developed. He was able to own and operate his own farm, ride horses, dance, spend 42 years in the feed and grocery store business, loading and unloading feed and fertilizer and standing on his feet for 13 plus hour days. Yes, in later life the weight of the prosthesis caused back problems and other related ailments, but he continued to be blessed with the ability to walk and do most of the tasks that anyone could do.
At the time of his death, the main prostheis, that he'd worn for approximately 40 years, after being "reworked" a number of times, had become a part of him. His family chose to bury the prosthesis with him. However, he had three other limbs, that he used for when he attended church, went to special events, etc., and they had remained in his bedroom.
"I continued to see them sitting there and had no idea, what to do with them," expressed his wife of 54 years, Joyce."Then, one day I decided to call Hanger Limbs in Sulphur Springs to see if they had any use for them, in a way that someone could get some good from them. That's when they told me about Limbs For Life!"
Limbs for Life is a program that offers donated prosthesis to those who cannot afford one. The parts or possibly the entire limb is used to develop a prosthesis for someone who can use it to become mobile. With offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, Limbs for Life accepts donations and will make the limbs available to limb shops for the sole purpose of creating prostheis for those who cannot afford one.
"Once I heard about this program, I knew that it was the place to donate the limbs to," expressed Joyce McDonald. "The thought that something that had been such a vital part of my husband's life could be used by someone else, made me proud to be able to donate them!"
Recently, Joyce McDonald took the limbs to the Hanger Limb Shop, on Church Street, in Sulphur Springs and made them available to the Limbs for Life program. Now, three people will be able to receive a prosthesis from the generous donation and PFC McDonald's legacy will continue to live, through others!
Through the years, McDonald served as a "counselor" to many others who had lost a limb, encouraging them to develop a "can-do" attitude and overcome their handicap, making the most of life, every day!
"I know he would be extremely proud that someone else was able to function in life and use these limbs," expressed Joyce McDonald, as she made the donation. "He'd want them to use them to enjoy life and make the most of every opportunity!"
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