A Split-Second Decision, A Race Against Time

Jack England was in a hurry. It was a mistake that nearly cost him his life. Lying on the ground behind his childhood home, the impact from a fallen tree having sent him sprawling, he was sure this was the end. At 60 years old, on his own mother’s birthday, this was it.

It was a hot Saturday in August, and Jack was clearing underbrush in the woods behind his late parents’ home, a property he and his sister lovingly maintained. As he was finishing, he noticed a dead pine tree and decided to cut it down. The tree fell, but instead of hitting the ground, it got caught in another tree. Jack knew the right way to handle this was to pull it free with his tractor and a chain. But he was in a hurry.

In a fateful shortcut, he nudged the tree with his tractor bucket. The bottom half swung free as expected, but the dead, dry top half snapped from the trunk. It came crashing down toward him. Jack leaned away, protecting his head, but the immense force of the impact was unavoidable. A heavy section of the treetop struck his lower back before thudding to the ground.

Jack managed to climb down from the tractor, but his legs gave out immediately. A searing pain shot through his side, and the air vanished from his lungs. He collapsed onto the hot grass, the world spinning around him. As he lay there, wearing boots, shorts, and a straw hat, he prayed, “Lord, forgive me of my sins, and please take care of my family.”

A Faint Signal of Hope

Just moments later, a thought cut through the pain: his cellphone. In a rural area with spotty service, making a call was a struggle, each failed attempt matching his desperate fight for breath. Finally, he got through to his sister, Pam. “I’m behind daddy’s house,” he gasped. “A tree fell on me, I’m hurt bad, call an ambulance.” The call dropped. He managed one more call to his mother-in-law, asking her to find his wife, Shari.

Soon, Shari arrived on the scene. Then, another vehicle came speeding onto the property. To Jack’s surprise, it was Dr. Mark Attwood—a man he sang with in the Rison United Methodist Church choir every Sunday. In a moment of quick thinking, Pam had called him, hoping he might be close enough to help.

With his last ounce of strength, Jack crawled into the back of Dr. Attwood’s truck, lying on the floorboard as he held on to hope. The pain was severe, and breathing was nearly impossible as Dr. Attwood sped toward Pine Bluff.

The Race to Save a Life

Dr. Attwood, a physician at UAMS South Central and a provider at Jefferson Regional, recognized the gravity of the situation. He knew Jack might not have the 25 minutes it would normally take to get to the hospital. He had to get there faster. He made the drive in about half that time.

During the ride, he handed his phone to Shari. “Call the ER,” he instructed, so the team could prepare for what was coming. Through the haze of pain, Jack heard him say, “We’ll be there in 5 minutes.” He laughs now, remembering how he worried about how fast Dr. Attwood was driving.

At the hospital, the trauma team was waiting. Dr. J.R. Taylor, a trauma surgeon, and Dr. Tim McClure, an ER physician, knew the clock was ticking. The impact had broken several of Jack’s ribs in multiple places, causing his left lung to collapse—a condition known as traumatic pneumothorax. Air was filling the space between his lung and chest wall, and every passing second brought him closer to cardiac arrest.

With practiced urgency, Dr. Taylor performed a chest tube insertion. This critical procedure instantly released the pressure building around Jack’s heart and lung, saving his life. Dr. Attwood was right there, assisting.

A Journey of Healing and Gratitude

Two days later, Dr. Taylor performed a surgical procedure called Rib Plating to repair Jack’s ribs. These plates, which look like small blue bicycle chains, hold the ribs in place, allowing them to heal while the lung expands. Though recovery will take time, Jack’s prognosis is good. He is already back at work, and he’ll be back on his tractor before long.

Jack’s story is one of immense gratitude. He spent 12 days in the hospital, two of which were in the ICU under the excellent care of James Slaughter, RN, and many other wonderful nurses. He is also grateful for the post-surgical care from Dr. Leigh Anna Robinson, another of Jefferson Regional’s skilled trauma surgeons. And through it all, his dear wife, Shari, never once left his side.

Jack believes this all happened because of his mistake. He made a bad decision. But he also believes that God wasn’t ready for him. He jokes that with his history of “shenanigans and dodged bullets,” God realized he needed to be taught a lesson to stick around longer.

He says he’s learned that lesson. Jack England made a bad decision on a hot August day, but a series of miracles—a friend who was also a doctor, a clear cell signal, and a world-class trauma team—put him back together. More than anything, he learned just how precious it is to simply be here.