What Happened to the Teen Who Lost His Arms in a 1992 Farm Accident?

John Thompson seems like someone who doesn’t get upset easily, but today, his cat Toby is testing his patience. Yet, compared to what he’s been through, Toby’s antics are nothing.

Thompson, now 47, survived a life-changing accident almost 30 years ago when he lost both his arms in a farm accident. His story made headlines worldwide, a huge spotlight for an 18-year-old from Hurdsfield, North Dakota.

The media attention eventually faded, but life carried on for Thompson. How has he adapted? Does he still have full use of his arms? What brings him happiness now?

On January 11, 1992, while unloading pig feed, Thompson got too close to a power takeoff (PTO) shaft without a safety guard. “I wasn’t careful with my shirt, and it caught on the PTO. I remember spinning on the shaft,” he shared. He passed out, waking up to his dog licking his face and realizing his arms were gone.

“I was confused, just sitting there figuring out how to stand,” he recalled. Leaning against a tractor tire, he managed to push himself up.

Since no one else was home, he walked 100 yards back to his house. Using his mouth to turn the doorknob, he got inside, dialed the phone with a pencil, and sat in the bathtub to avoid getting blood on his mom’s new carpet. The only pain he felt was when exposed nerves hit something, though he was dizzy from blood loss.

“When I got to the hospital, they told me I had lost almost all my blood and shouldn’t be alive,” Thompson said. He remembers his time in the ER, talking to the staff, worrying about the running tractor, and getting upset when they cut off his new cowboy boots.

At one point, a staff member placed a bag beside him containing his arms, which were later reattached. “As I lay there, my arms were just a couple of feet away,” he recalled.

Thompson was flown to Minneapolis, where his arms would be reattached. It was his first plane ride, and he argued to sit up and see out the window. But he was concerned about how cold his arms felt. A crew member reminded him that they were on ice in the front of the plane.

Looking back, Thompson can laugh about some of these moments, though it was a terrifying time. Dr. Allen Van Beek, a University of North Dakota graduate, performed the reattachment surgery, putting Thompson in a coma for four weeks to heal. Thompson nearly died from a blood infection and had to undergo more surgery and rehabilitation.

After high school, Thompson attended the University of Minnesota briefly but found it wasn’t the right fit. He started traveling for speaking events, donating earnings to United Blood Services, as blood donations saved his life. On the 10th anniversary of the accident, he published a book, “Home in One Piece,” which gained popularity. At one point, he was in talks with actress Victoria Principal to make it into a movie. Now, as the 30th anniversary approaches, he hopes to revisit the screenplay idea and expand the book.

“When I first wrote it, I couldn’t include some things. I want to write a more open version,” he said.

While he’s had rough moments, Thompson has received kindness from strangers who recognize his story. However, he’s also faced people who have tried to take advantage of him.