Nelson Thomas is sharing a harrowing health update nearly one year after he was involved in a serious car accident in Austin, Texas.
via: People
The star of MTV's The Challenge has undergone multiple surgeries and spent months in the hospital after he was rescued last March from his flaming car in Austin, Texas, by Minnesota Vikings player K.J. Osborn and three other good Samaritans. But on Sunday, the reality TV personality announced he's opted for amputation, scheduling his surgery on a significant date:
March 5, 2004 — exactly a year to the date of his crash.
"March 5, 2023 remains vivid in my memory, a persistent presence in my thoughts," Thomas wrote on Instagram. "I consciously embrace it as the initiation of a new chapter. Opting for amputation, I am determined to own March 5 and redefine its significance in my life."
"Get ready, amputation world! I'm on my way!" he added. "I am scheduled for surgery on March 5, 2024.
Thomas' post included images of his injuries and the accident, as well as an audio of a conversation between him and his doctor, who explained the surgery and answered any questions Thomas had.
The MTV star recalled that he's tried multiple procedures since the accident and it "didn't work out."
"I have to ask myself what kind of life I want to live and the quality of life I want to live," he said, admitting he questioned at first whether it was the right thing to do but had done a lot of research. "I think I'm at peace with it and it's time."
Nelson was one of my favorite competitors on The Challenge. It's not easy to make the decision to have doctors remove something that has been a part of you since you were born, but if it will save your life, you have to do what's right for you.
I wish him the best, and hope that when he gets a new foot that he will work to come back to the hit competition series and compete again.