Gilmer Free Press

Harrison County: ‘Nothing Short Of A Miracle’

Just a week after being struck by lightning while attending church camp, Zachary Sandy, age 18, has been discharged from the West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh, PA and is expected to make a full recovery.

“From where he was last Wednesday to where he is today is nothing short of a miracle,” said his father Randy. “There’s nothing else to explain it.”

Zachary, a recent graduate of Robert C. Byrd High School in Harrison County, was attending a church camp in Parkersburg on July 11, 2012 when his father got word that his son had been struck by lightning and his life hung in the balance.

Paramedics said Zachary was without a pulse for 15 to 20 minutes and three different times doctors contemplated pronouncing the 18 year-old dead.

However, paramedics were able to get a pulse back and Zachary was flown to the West Penn Burn Center.

Zachary was initially placed on life support but little by little family and doctors saw improvement in him every day.

“We prayed for him to live. We prayed for a pulse, for him to wake up, for him to talk, for him to wake up,” recalls Russell Sandy.

Russell says his son is still experiencing some short-term memory loss and is a little wobbly on his feet but doctors have assured him his son is going to make a full recovery.

“He’s been texting on his phone, he’s been on Facebook,” chuckled Russell.

Zachary will now continue his rehab at Healthsouth in Morgantown.