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Back on his feet

When greeted with his megawatt smile, it’s hard to believe 25-year-old Kyle Konitzer miraculously survived a 32-foot fall.

When a top door of his silo gave way, Konitzer remembers trying to fall upright so he would land standing. In doing such, he minimized the likelihood of suffering even more life-threatening injuries.

Amazingly, Konitzer’s injuries were limited to bilateral leg fractures and some very serious lumbar fractures without any neurological deficit. This is also in great part due to the immediate care and proper immobilization he received from the Manawa Rural Fire Department and Manawa Ambulance.

Konitzer did require surgery and instrumentation to stabilize his leg and back fractures.

A complex interaction of both physical and bio-mechanical factors determines the patterns of injury and the probability of survival in falls. The higher the fall is, the greater the mortality is. Body position at impact is crucial. Pelvic and skull fractures increase mortality.

While his mobility was limited to a wheelchair, his positive attitude has showed no bounds. Staff unanimously agreed that it was always the best “upper” to visit Konitzer’s room; we could count on his contagious enthusiasm and megawatt smile to lift everyone’s spirits.

Kyle is in the dairy farming business. Always set on “enjoying the freedom of farming and its rewards along with spending time in the outdoors,” he leased property near Manawa and bought dairy cows. He takes much pride in the hard work his career demands.

The fabric of farm families is tightly woven. There was no shortage of help to do his work while he was wheelchair-bound.

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