Phil O'Driscoll

Setting Lofty Goals

Phil O’Driscoll was flying high. At 33, he had a job he loved and a fiancée he loved even more who was just months away from giving birth to this first child. But on August 2, 2005, Phil’s world came crashing down. Literally. That day the engine on this helicopter failed and exploded when Phil crashed into the mountainside, turning him into a human ball of fire.

Phil had made a split-second decision that day. He could have landed the helicopter on steep, rockery terrain, but the helicopter would have crushed his friend, Emery, waiting directly for Phil to fly him back to the mining camp. Instead, Phil flew into the face of danger – spinning uncontrollably off the side of the mountain – saving Emery’s life, but nearly taking his own.

Four months later, Phil woke up in the hospital, unrecognizable to himself and others. And that’s when, as he recalls, the real pain began. “I can’t describe how excruciating it is to recover from burns,” he says. “You just want to scream, and beg and pray that you’ll just pass out.”

Since then, Phil has sustained 50-plus surgeries; 39 in the first 15 months following his injury. He endured numerous skin grafts and a complete reconstruction of his face, including a new nose fashioned from one of his fingers. His hands, mostly immobile, are stuck in a claw-like position, despite several surgeries to correct them.

“I could go on without looks, but my life had always been about my hands. I’d been driving trucks and bulldozers, flying helicopters and planes and wrestling cattle and crocodiles,” says the Australian citizen, who was working in Terrace at the time of his injury and has since returned home.

Facing a life without meaningful work, Phil spiraled into a sea of depression. “I’ve since learned that depression is debilitating. You just lose yourself.”

While Phil’s losses are unimaginable to most, he hasn’t lost his sense of purpose. “Doing something meaningful is one of the most important aspects of recovery. I wanted to be a father to my daughter and get back to work.”

Between surgeries, Phil worked toward his goal of flying again. In late 2007, a previous employer called asking for Phil’s help. “I started thinking that I could have a life again, in spite of this burned and mangled body.”

Phil underwent rigorous testing to regain his pilot’s license and receive medical clearance to fly in Canada and Australia. “What used to take me five minutes, now takes 45. But I can still do it, and there’s no way I consider myself disabled.”

Nowadays, Phil still has his ups and downs, but knows what he needs to move forward. “If I can focus on my daughter and my work, it’ll all be good.”

By: Phil O'Driscoll

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