Lincoln Navy veteran recovering after car crash

From 0 steps to nearly 800, a Lincoln navy veteran is making something possible that doctors didn’t think was.

36–year–old James Rosenkranz was in a car crash in 2018. He developed a blood clot that went into his lungs and wound up in the hospital again just weeks after his accident. He went into cardiac arrest and then a coma for two weeks.

“Had I just gone home and gone to sleep and not getting checked out like my boss recommended, then who knows what would have happened,” Rosenkranz said.

Doctors said Rosenkranz had an 11% chance of recovering. He lost all function of both of his legs and couldn’t do much of anything by himself.

“It was extremely frustrating because so many of the things I was use to doing, I just couldn’t do,” Rosenkranz said.

Rosenkranz has since regained strength to his left leg, all while doing exercises at Madonna’s Rehabilitation Hospital.

“For James, we’ve been working a lot on lower leg strength and trying to gradually improve his ability to stand without hanging on and just taking every change he makes and trying to build on that,” Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Marin Salisbury said.

Rosenkranz is back at work at Duncan Aviation, still in his wheelchair. He has used his mechanical skills to help him regain his independence. He adapted his own car to have hand controls.

“I’m not doing myself any favors if I just quit and give up because then what was all this work been for,” Rosenkranz said.

Salisbury says Rosenkranz challenges himself more than she challenges him.

“It’s great to see him pushing for his goals to get out of his wheelchair and be able to walk and get back to doing the things that he enjoys,” Salisbury said.

Rosenkranz says watching his progress get better each day is the reason he keeps going.

“I know I am going to be back at 100% again, it’s just going to take time,” Rosenkranz said.