'She Was Dying': Carpenter Saves Teenage Girl's Life After Accident

September 19, 2024

Today's good news story comes from Creve Coeur, Illinois.

30-year-old carpenter Bradley Kupris saved the life of 14-year-old Stephanie Paluska after a devastating bicycle accident left her fighting for her life.

Bradly Kupris | Stephanie Paluska (left) with her family

Stephanie, a freshman at East Peoria High School, had just finished her second day of classes when she decided to take her bicycle out for a ride. As she sped down a hill, disaster struck—she lost control, and her bike slammed into the ground. In a cruel twist of fate, one of the bike’s handle grips was missing, leaving a sharp, exposed metal pipe that pierced her right groin area and severed her femoral artery.

A severed femoral artery can cause rapid blood loss, leading to unconsciousness and death within minutes. Stephanie felt herself slipping away, believing she wouldn’t survive.

But help was on the way.

Kupris, who had been working on a woodworking project nearby, heard the commotion and rushed outside. He sprinted a block, following a trail of blood, and found Stephanie on the ground, severely injured.

"The whole thing looked impossible, couldn't be real," Kupris recalled. "I saw something that looked like a rifle wound on her upper thigh."

Reacting quickly, Kupris grabbed a first aid kit from his truck and immediately applied pressure to the wound. Using compressed gauze, he packed the injury and held firm for 15 agonizing minutes until emergency responders arrived.

"Hopefully, I can meet him and thank him and tell him, 'I'm alive because of you,'" Stephanie said gratefully.