The man who survived being cut in half by a forklift has opened up with a heartbreaking confession about the challenges he continues to face six years after the accident.
Loren Schauers was just 19 years old in September 2019 when the forklift he was operating veered off a bridge in Montana, plunging more than 50 feet to the ground. The accident was so severe that doctors were forced to perform a hemicorporectomy, a rare procedure that removed his lower body, pelvis, and part of one arm.
Now 25, Schauers has shared candid reflections on the impact of that life-changing moment.
During a recent YouTube video with his wife, Sabia, he spoke about how his friendships changed after the tragedy. When asked if his friends still treated him the same way, he admitted feeling “a little disappointed” by those who had “totally reverted and have been reclusive.”
“A couple of friends came out of the woodworks and have been really supportive, [others] totally reverted,” Sabia added.
Schauers, however, responded with quiet acceptance: “But it’s whatever to me, you know, I got Sabia, that’s all I need.”
Beyond friendships, Schauers admitted that he continues to struggle with finding purpose. “I really haven’t found my niche yet of what I want to do and what I can do and what my next step in life’s going to be,” he said in the anniversary video. “I’ve honestly been in this stagnant stasis ever since the accident.”
Before the tragedy, Schauers had a clear vision for his future: “My plan was to work construction and get a labor job and get some trades under my belt, be a jack of all trades, and work construction my entire life.”
But that plan was lost in an instant. “So for the past 6 years, I’ve just dabbled in multiple different ideas, real estate, gaming, uh the YouTube… just really struggling to find my niche.”
His daily life also brings emotional challenges, particularly in being fully dependent on Sabia, who serves as both wife and caregiver. “It’s really, really difficult for me,” he admitted. “To this day, I still struggle with asking for the most basic things like help brushing my teeth because it’s just that part of independence as a man that I don’t know, I just can’t get away from.”
Reflecting on his upbringing, he added: “I feel that I’m the one that should be leading or protecting her and doing these things for her and instead she’s having to do the protecting, the leading and everything for me. And to me, that is not how I grew up in my mindset.”
At his lowest points—such as a 10-month stretch when kidney stones left him bedridden—Schauers admitted he felt “completely useless” and like a “strain” on those around him.
Yet through it all, his relationship with Sabia has remained unshakable. The pair, who had been dating for about a year at the time of the accident, recently marked six years together since that life-altering day.
“6 years ago, Sabia unconditionally chose to take on that role as my caregiver, not knowing what she got herself into, but knowing that her love for me would be strong enough to face any hurdle that life would throw our way,” Schauers said.
Sabia has been equally open about the difficulties of balancing caregiving with marriage. She acknowledged her own burnout but reaffirmed her devotion: “If I didn’t want to be with him I wouldn’t be with him. I’m here and I stayed and I continue to stay because I love Loren… the change in his body didn’t affect how I see him or how I love him.”
Looking ahead, the couple are even considering starting a family, exploring options through a donor or adoption.
