A man who snapped both legs while bouncing on a trampoline had to undergo three rounds of surgery to walk again.
Robert Harrison was playing around with his children on the trampoline when he felt two "excruciating pops" in his knees as he attempted a front flip - rupturing his tendons in both knees.
After losing feeling in his lower limbs, 38-year-old Robert thought he was paralysed and said he couldn't look down for fear he'd see his bones sticking out of his legs.
Paramedics quickly arrived on the scene and Robert initially thought he had dislocated his legs, even asking the paramedics to pop them back in place so he could get to work.
Robert was told upon arrival at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Hospital, California, US, that he had ruptured both of the tendons in his knees and would require immediate surgery.
The dad-of-four then spent six weeks with his legs in straight braces and in a wheelchair, making life "extremely difficult" and leaving him feeling "helpless".
Robert, a corporate security supervisor, who lives in Folsom, California, US, with his wife, Jessica Harrison, 37, a marketing manager said: "I felt completely helpless - I suffered a lot mentally.
"Day to day activities were made very difficult and terrifying after the injury.
"I remember I was playing with the kids and we had just bought the trampoline.
"I decided to have some fun on it and I wanted to go viral with some flips.
"Next thing I know I feel two excruciating pops and I couldn't feel my legs. Everything went numb. I thought I was paralysed.
"I didn't even want to look down as I thought my bones might be sticking out of my legs.
"When I got to the hospital they told me that I had torn both tendons and that I'd require surgery.
"They said they'd never seen that before.
Throughout the six weeks, Robert gained some mobility back in his legs and was able to walk in the straight leg braces in August 2021.
However, after he tripped and fell on a curb, the staples in his leg split open and he was rushed back to hospital where he had to wait over 24 hours for surgery to close up his leg.
After a few more setbacks and another round of surgery to bring his kneecaps back down to where they're supposed to sit, Robert's legs have completely healed but he still struggles to walk.
Despite this, Robert is down 100lbs from the 300lbs he weighed at the time of the accident on July 31, 2021.
Robert has also revealed that he was drinking on the day and vowed to quit - and he's due to hit one year of sobriety on the 17th December.
"I realised that your life can change instantly and you have to be ready for anything. That's what motivated me to be better than I was before.
"I wasn't in the best health during the accident as I was 300lbs. Now I've lost 100lbs and quit alcohol.
"The greatest gift I can give my family is a sober dad and husband."
