Alan McEwen Testimonial

My name’s Alan McEwen. I’m a cattle rancher. Been ranching for about 40 years. I rodeo on and off; I used to ride bulls for 15 years and then changed over to cutting horses. I do a lot of day work, working different ranches all over the state. And I have my own place here, local. Well, my injury happened on April 24th. One morning we went to work cows over in Wauchula on a ranch, which I do for a living. I was pushing some bulls up in a crevice. They hit my horse and that horse decided he’d come unglued, and he started bucking. He looked like a bird dog, had his nose to the ground and had his butt right straight up in the air. I was riding him really good, but when I came up out of the saddle, I came out about 18 inches on one of his bucks. When I landed back down on my saddle, I landed on the saddle horn, and that went up through my pelvic area all the way up to my chest. It just split me wide there. When I hit the saddle, it actually bucked me up in the air and I was spinning around like a helicopter for about 10 or 12 feet in the air. I landed on my side and they ended up flying me to Tampa General. I had broke my pelvis in the front and in the rear and completely tore my spine off my pelvis. Then the next day I met Dr. Mir. Don’t really remember meeting him cause I was kind of out of it and had surgery. But my experience with Dr. Mir and Florida Orthopaedic is just, I don’t think I’d be here today if it wasn’t for them. I don’t think I’d be walking if it wasn’t for them. I’m up walking three miles every morning right now. I still have some core exercises to work on, but even just being a little over a year, nobody thought I would be doing what I’m doing today. And I don’t think I would be doing it if it wasn’t for them. They have taken care of me like family. They didn’t treat me like a patient. They didn’t treat me like I was somebody – just get you in here and get you out. They sat me down, they talked to me, they called me. They would call and check on me. I can’t say enough about ’em from day one. They came in there and told me we’re doing this, and I’d ask him to do this. He says, no, we’re doing it this way. And I’m gonna tell you, if I didn’t do it his way, I wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t be walking. But as far as Dr. Mir and Florida Orthopaedic, I can’t say enough. I mean they literally, they bring tears to my eyes. I’ve just never seen that kind of care in my life between them and Tampa General. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Listen, am I gonna have another accident? Probably is a matter of time, that’s it. I’m not gonna quit riding. I’m not gonna quit rodeoing. And if I do, that’s the first place I’m going. Let’s hope I don’t have to do it anytime soon. But if I have to, that’s the only place I’m going to. I mean, I’m gonna keep their number on speed dial (laugh).