On June 10, FF Mark Reed of the Buffalo Fire Department’s
Engine-31 was critically injured by a falling chimney at the scene of a
fire in a 2 1/2-story wood-framed building.

After hours and hours of emergency surgery to just stabilize Mark.
He was put in a hospital induced coma and placed in the intensive
care unit of The Erie County Medical Center. His injures included
twenty facial fractures, a fractured skull and other head injuries,
shoulder injuries, seven broken ribs, and a severely mangled right leg.

Days went by with Mark's survival in question. Nine days after
the fire, Mark's right leg was amputated. A day long surgery was also
done on Mark which entailed folding down his face and
reconstructing his skull.

Early in July, Mark was brought out of his coma. Well wishers
marveled at the fact that Mark could squeeze a rubber ball and
communicate with them by making eye contact. A couple weeks later
he had amazingly improved enough to formidably exchange barbswith members of his crew. He was fitted with a prosthetic leg and
was told that if he could walk 200 feet and climb 15 stairs he could go
home. After a couple weeks, his determination triumphed over his
injuries and he was released from the hospital months before anyone
had expected. Mark insists that he will return to work in some
capacity within six months to a year

Mark faces a very long road to recovery as well as the challenges
encountered in trying to adjust to his new life.