SAT . The First Photos of Hunter’s Hands Are In — And They Tell a Story No Family Is Ready to See
For the first time since the accident, we’re seeing Hunter’s hands — and the images carry both hope and heartbreak.
These photos were taken after multiple emergency surgeries on the hands of a 24-year-old lineman who was violently electrocuted while restoring power for others during a brutal winter storm. Doctors have been fighting to save his hands ever since.
The damage is severe.
The battle is ongoing.
And nothing about this journey is easy — especially for the family living it minute by minute.
Out of respect, the most critical area has been blurred in one image. That section is what doctors are watching most closely as they work to prevent amputation. Every hour matters. Every decision carries weight.
Hunter’s father, Daren, shared the painful context behind the photos:
“These images were taken immediately after the injury, from 1/25 to 1/31 — following fasciotomy surgery on 1/26 and another irrigation and debridement surgery on 1/28 of his right hand.
We haven’t yet seen his left arm or hand, but the damage there was profoundly worse. That’s clear from what I saw right after the injury, what surgeons have told us, the amount of wound vac drainage each day, and the level of pain Hunter is enduring.”
And still — through the pain, the waiting, and the uncertainty — Hunter remains Hunter.
A son.
A husband.
And an uncle.
This week, he received a visit from his young nephew, Henry, bringing a rare moment of light into a heavy room.
“Lots of visitors today,” Daren wrote. “I watched Hunter smile and soak it all in. Thank you all for the love, support, food, snacks — everything.”
Doctors are cautiously hopeful, but nothing is guaranteed. Recovery is being measured one day at a time.
If you have a moment, please say a prayer for Hunter.
And if you could leave him one message —
what would you want him to hear as he keeps fighting? 🤍
