Just a moment to say to all of you...Thank You.

It still feels like yesterday.

Friday, March 23, 2018. A day in my life that will forever live...in infamy.

I had just finished a phone call with my mom, telling her that I was going to be on my way from the office soon, eventually heading home for my break.

Then, the unthinkable happens.

It was around 7:00 p.m. that night before I face planted down a stair well on my way to the parking lot. 

I'll save you from the most gruesome details, but that would begin a nightmare that's gone on for almost a year.

I was rushed to the hospital by our Evening Anchor Amanda Kenney after being found by our Evening Producer Jackson Elwell as he was walking into the building. He didn't know what was going on, but acted quickly before Amanda took me to the hospital.

I later get to the emergency room in a state of shock, misery and disbelief. I had never been in a serious accident before, and I had no experience with a recovery process like this.

I remember being pulled from my CT scan and returned to my room in the Emergency Room. That's where I was greeted by mom and stepdad, while I was just in a state of lets just get me to surgery so I can go home already.

When the results of that scan came back, I was given word of something that I really didn't want to hear: I had to be transferred to another hospital because what I needed wasn't going to be available to me here.

Just what you need to hear when you're in crisis mode.

Possibly what it made it the most bearable, was when my mom asked me if I wanted to see my phone. 

Initially, I wanted nothing to do with it. I mentally just wanted to get to surgery, and get it finished. It was moments later where I changed my mind, and said sure.

I may have been greeted by 15-20 text messages asking about me and if I was ok. I legitimately thought I was going to cry on my hospital bed knowing so many people wanted to know how I was doing.

It brought a sense of comfort to me knowing so many people were asking, and that started what I needed to do to make myself ready to take on this treatment plan that I have been on since.

Being able to also share that information with family and friends that were worried about me also was helpful so no one got bogus information and they were able to hear it straight from me.

I was transferred to Pittsburgh for treatment where this long, difficult process would begin. After surgery I remember my mom showing me a photo of my niece, noting the wish for me to get well as soon as possible following a text from my oldest brother.

Just what I needed, an emotional tear jerker when I was in pain, especially one involving my goddaughter.

Later that afternoon, I would be greeted by members of my family, who saw my face looking like it was scrambled around my mouth. That is when I would later see my goddaughter in person.

I went over to her to say hi, and I saw the devastation on her face. She thought it might've been me, but she wasn't exactly sure. I put my arm around her and told her "I'm going to be ok, I just need to go through some treatment", that sent my family into laughter.

Little did I realize how much having something like that in my life would mean so much at a moment that I was in great pain. The last 24 hours may have been the hardest in my life, and knowing I had that smiling face to look forward to made a difference for me.

Then it all ended, March 6, 2019.

I can now say that after about one year, the light officially has come. No longer am I held down by the chains of a long, grueling recovery process. I finally am freed of the long hours that I have had to spend in each of the doctor's offices for treatment reasons.

This liberating feeling has never felt better, but as this chapter of my life comes to a close, I have a number of people I need to thank.

First and foremost, I want to thank my medical team that has taken care of me since day one. I couldn't be more grateful for what the UPMC Altoona and Presbyterian Hospital's Emergency Room staffs did to get my situation under control. They saw the absolute worst of it, and did what they could to make sure the recovery process started off as smoothly as it could.

I can't tell you how thankful I am for Dr. Andrew Michanowicz, Dr. Michael Cohen, Dr. Michael Reed and Dr. Edward Hovan and their staffs. All of them took on what happened to me and did everything as soon as possible in their power to make sure my mouth got back to normal as soon as they possibly could. They've seen me through the daunting trials and troubling moments, but when times were toughest, they kept me sane, so for that, I thank all of you.

Next, I want to take a moment thank my bosses at WTAJ. They showed incredible flexibility and understanding, knowing fully that because of the necessary care I needed, that this could very well impact my ability to be available to them at a given moment. I'm incredibly fortunate that I only had to miss a day of work for treatment only once following the initial aftermath.

My family and friends couldn't have come in at a more important time. Whether it was a prayer, a positive thought, or whatever you shared with me during this process, please know that I needed these way more than I thought I would.

I've been credited with being strong through all of this, but even I have to admit, even the strongest of people sometimes need people pushing them through this.

Little did I realize how much I would need it myself.

If you've ever been through the demands of a long recovery process from anything, whether it be what I suffered, cancer, etc., you know that processes like these can take a lot out of you.

I remember the day the first phase of my implant was complete. I wanted to just cry while I was at the office knowing that finally there was some hope that an end was near.

There are so many moments where I just wished the process could've been done faster. Those are the moments that make your head want to explode.

But what kept me sane through it all? Everything that I value in my life.

I know I would've appreciated a better result after the fall, but because I went through this, I'm a stronger man. A stronger man with a new appreciation for the life I've been unbelievably blessed to live.

Now is the time for me to leave it behind, and move forward.

Just know that there are just two words for all of you who've had my back from day one to anyone who had my back since then: Thank You.