The one who gave more

Kelly Garner will never forget the night that changed his life.  

On January 28, 2014, a sudden onset of snow caused icy roads to turn into a gridlock across Birmingham. In the days that followed, stories circulated of people stranded on the roadways, at school and at work overnight. 

But for one Vestavia Hills resident and father of two, his story had a near fatal ending.

After the storm hit that day, Garner, known for putting others before himself, was helping stranded motorists near the Walmart Neighborhood Market shopping center on U.S. 31.

“I just jumped in and started helping, one car after another,” Garner recalled.

Garner has been a Type 1 diabetic since he was 9 years old. That’s why his oldest sister, Charlotte Garner Carter, was worried when the family received an unusual call from him. 

“When he called home at 7 p.m. and said he was headed home, his 15-year-old son Tyler said Dad’s sugar must be low, because he was repeating the same sentence over and over and told them that he was leaving the Walmart Market,” said Carter.

Garner did not make it home that evening. His Panorama Drive neighbors formed a search team that eventually spotted him at the bottom of a 40-foot-deep ravine near the Library in the Forest the following morning. With the help of the Vestavia Hills Fire Department, Garner was carried out of the ravine.

“It was a team effort in carefully moving him from that forest of trees, large rocks and hilly terrain,” Carter said.

Garner’s injuries included a broken T8 vertebra, bleeding on the brain, five broken ribs on the left and two on the right, and broken bones in his foot. He was eventually moved to Spain Rehabilitation Center to relearn to walk and fine-tune his motor skills. 

Today, it seems Garner’s positive attitude is playing a big part in his recovery, which his doctors described as miraculous. 

“A lot of people ask about my moments while I was at the bottom of the ravine,” Garner said. “All I can say is that I couldn’t have found a better rock to land on. It was a big rock, so not so bad really.”

Garner was invited to be the surprise guest at the UAB Trauma Symposium in November. Several Vestavia Hills medics were in attendance. Dr. Ginger Justice, an instructor at the department of trauma, burns and surgical critical care at UAB, introduced Garner to the crowd by recalling January’s events.

“What stood out to me was that everyone came together,” said Justice. “There were no frozen hearts in Birmingham that day. But there was one that gave more.”

During a slideshow, she revealed that words used to describe Garner included helper, survivor, inspiration and hero. During his speech Garner recalled the experience and thanked all the staff that had helped him.

In October, Garner ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. In November, he ran the Vulcan Run 10K in downtown Birmingham. He is planning to run the Mercedes Half-Marathon in February.

“My goal for these runs was simply to come across the finish line,” Garner said. “At some point I will probably be looking to see if I am improving and obviously look at times I ran and competed strong and there was no pain whatsoever.”

Garner is also in the process of writing a book about his experience. He said he is not ready to announce any release dates, but it could be ready by the anniversary of his fall in January. The book is set to be titled The Night That Changed My Life.

“We are still in the heavy editing process, including getting the book cover design ready and finding some quality photos that are suitable and up to the publisher’s standards,” Garner said. 

For now, Garner is focused on steadily improving and searching for employment. He is thankful for everyone who has assisted in his recovery and, most importantly, for his second chance at life. 

 “The devil pushed me in the pit, but God pulled me out,” Garner said. “I encourage everyone to live well, laugh often, and love much with whatever you do.”