CHICAGO (WLS) — Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Henry Melton is sharing his remarkable comeback story with ABC7.
Earlier this year, he came perilously close to losing his life. The incident was a shocking and unforeseen event that permanently altered the outlook of the former Pro Bowl player.
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Melton played for three different teams during his six NFL season, but no place was quite like Chicago.
“It was just like such a family. I didn’t really feel that at other places… we had such a nucleus of a good family,” Melton said.
Melton was drafted by the Bears in 2009, making the Pro Bowl in 2012 as part of a dominant defensive front.
Yet, nothing on the football field could have prepared him for the health struggle he encountered earlier this year, when his world abruptly changed right before a dinner with his daughter.
It’s a cliché, but it’s true—life is short. You have to cherish every moment as you never know what might happen. I can’t fathom how I’m still here; it really was a miracle.
Henry Melton, former Chicago Bears defensive lineman
“Something like came over my body, and then my legs started to give out… I went to the bathroom, drink some water,” Melton said. “I was in the bathroom for a while. I didn’t know what to do… my daughter comes in there… I’m laying on the ground. I’m like, ‘I can’t feel my legs anymore, call 911.'”
Melton was taken to a suburban hospital where a CT scan quickly detected aortic dissection, a tear of the body’s main artery. In Melton’s case, it cut off circulation to his legs, a life-threatening diagnosis that required immediate surgery.
“One of the last things I just remember, the doctor comes in, he’s just like, ‘You have aortic dissection… you might lose your life, and it was like, ‘We’re going to try to save your life, we’re going to try to save your legs,” Melton said. “There was no time to process… ‘We’re just going to tell you so you don’t… freak out,’ but I did freak out. They said I almost died and then they revived me, there were a lot of things that were said coming out of the hospital.”
Melton didn’t wake up after surgery for several days. It was even longer before he was strong enough to begin the long road to recovery, learning to walk again after losing nearly 60 pounds.
“I felt like Bambi, standing up for the first time… I couldn’t really move my legs… ‘We saved them but its just going to take some time,'” Melton said. “I had nerve damage in my feet all the way up to my knees… I was just in the bed for a very long time.”
It has been four months since his surgery, and Melton is still limited on how much he can lift or exert himself, but he continues to improve with a grateful heart and the unwavering support from family and football.
“Cliché, it’s just like… life’s short. Got to appreciate every moment, you just don’t what can happen,” Melton said. “I don’t know how I’m still here… it was a miracle. Definitely taking a step back and really really, you know, enjoying every step of the way.”
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