He’d been honorably discharged from the National Guard after his accident and put on leave from his role with the sheriff’s office. Despite the odds being stacked against him, his goal was to get back to work as a deputy within his six-month disability period.
On August 1, 2023, a year to the day after the accident, brought more good news: Lucas and Nicole learned they were having a baby. “That was the coolest part of the whole thing,” Nicole said. “It was exactly a year after the crash that we found out. The year that broke us, rebuilt us.” To be re-enlisted in the Army, Lucas had to be cleared for speech, walking and using his arm, and he met those goals. “I jumped through all the hoops, filled out the paperwork, and re-enlisted in 2024,” he said. “I finally felt like myself.” Lucas recently completed drill sergeant school, the hardest academic school in the Army. And he’s now working in Loudoun County as a deputy. “We can’t say enough about the team at UT Medical,” Nicole said. “They shot straight, in a calm way, explaining every step along the way. They saved Lucas’ life.”
“I stayed motivated,” Lucas said. “My mindset has always been that tomorrow will be better than today. And I kept that mindset, even when taking five steps was my biggest challenge.” After a month in rehab, Lucas had remastered walking and talking. He worked with a police department using a simulation firearm to refamiliarize himself with handling and shooting in law enforcement scenarios. In late October, he went back into the hospital for a cranioplasty, which restored his skull. Within his six-month deadline, he returned to his job with the police department.
How has Lucas’s life changed since the injury? “It’s made me be so thankful and appreciative of each moment, waking up not knowing if I was promised the next day,” he said. “Now I’m always in a good mood, grateful for where I’m at, and that God has provided me and my family blessings. The most exciting thing is coming home and seeing my wife and daughter.”
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