In 2015, Wentzville fire Capt. Tommy Shine was part of a team of first responders who rescued three teenagers from a frozen lake. One had been trapped under the ice for more than 10 minutes and made a full recovery after being rushed to the hospital. The incredible story served as the inspiration for the film Breakthrough. Now, a decade later, Tommy has undergone his own miraculous recovery following a medical emergency.
Last autumn, Tommy fell from a ladder while helping his wife, Brittany, in her salon. The couple received sobering news when they took Tommy to the emergency room. Tests revealed that he had an ascending aortic aneurysm. “They did a full-body CT scan and found it,” Brittany says. “They suggested we follow up with a cardiovascular surgeon. It was very close to the heart and in danger of rupturing.”
Surgery to replace Tommy’s aortic stem and valve was scheduled for December. He was expected to spend three days in the hospital followed by three to four months off work. Brittany notes that the initial impression following the procedure was that everything had gone well and Tommy’s prognosis was good. “Visiting hours ended, so I returned to the hotel I was staying at,” she says. “I got a call that he had coded moments after I left the hospital.”
Tommy was rushed into emergency surgery. “He was under for 72 minutes, and his doctors were telling me to be prepared for the possibility that they wouldn’t be able to bring him back,” Brittany recalls. “But by the grace of God, they did.” The next few weeks were a roller coaster of ups and downs. At one point, all 11 of Tommy’s organ systems were shut down, and he coded three more times. Doctors believed that he also had a stroke, and when he was well enough for a CT scan, there was concern about damage to his brain. “One thing would get better, and two things would get worse,” Brittany says.
The Shine family had to consider Tommy’s quality of life. Doctors warned them he would have to live as a quadruple amputee, and there was a possibility that he would be brain dead. “My husband doesn’t sit still,” Brittany notes. “There was no way he would want to live his life strapped to a chair in a care facility.” The difficult decision was made to put Tommy into hospice care in January; however, doing so was postponed by a few days due to a snowstorm. “The fire department wanted to give him the traditional send off, so they asked if we could wait until the weather passed,” Brittany explains.
That request made a huge difference. The family spent the weekend meeting with friends and loved ones who came to say goodbye. On Monday, when a nurse was preparing to begin comfort care, Tommy started talking. “His doctors decided to resume all measures to give him more time,” Brittany says. “As the days passed, things started to get better. Tommy showed us his story wasn’t over.” Tommy’s organ systems began to function on their own, and it was clear he had maintained more brain function than expected.
As part of his recovery, Tommy underwent surgery with reconstructive and plastic surgeon Dr. Arya Namin. For the surgeon, it was an honor to play a role in Shine’s amazing recovery. “I was only a small part of a large multidisciplinary team that took care of Tommy,” he says. “As the son of a police officer, it was particularly rewarding to be a part of his journey. I am glad we are sharing his recovery story because it has been inspiring to see him regaining strength and to watch the community rally around him and his family.”
Tommy is currently in Chicago for rehabilitation where he will remain until this fall. He has received leg prosthetics and is hopeful to also receive ones for his upper limbs. Brittany notes that while their ultimate goal is for Tommy to have independence, they are taking his recovery one step at a time. The support of the community has been a major source of strength for the family. “It’s been amazing knowing we have a whole community and beyond behind us,” she says. “It’s something I can’t really put into words. I hope Tommy can continue to inspire people to not give up, even when it feels like there is no hope.”
Tommy and Brittany are working on establishing Rise and Shine Outreach. The nonprofit is focused on supporting first responders who are injured outside of work, as well as amputees. “Since Tommy can no longer be a firefighter, he wanted to find a way to continue helping people during emergencies,” she explains. “There is a lack of benefits for first responders who are injured outside the line of duty. They are often forced into retirement, and that’s it. Our vision for what’s next is to be a support to people like Tommy in their time of need.
