BRADENTON, Fla. — A Manatee County woman lost three of her fingers after an accident in her backyard in November — just months before her wedding.
Miranda Rozamus was cutting wood using a log splitter when the accident happened. She said she looked away for a few seconds and the equipment sliced off her fingers.
"I used a log splitter. I've used it millions of times and never had an issue. I looked away for 10 seconds. My fingers were off, pretty scary," said Miranda Rozamus.
Her now-husband dialed 911.
"He called 911 because we weren't sure what to do. They said to put them on ice," said Rozamus.
She didn't feel any pain until she got into an ambulance. She believes now that she was in shock.
Dr. Michael Van Vliet, Medical Director of Burn, Wound and Hand Center with Blake Medical Center, reattached the 23-year-old's fingers. He saved three fingers on her left hand, including her ring finger.
"I think he's an amazing doctor. I didn't think I was going to have my fingers back," said Rozamus.
Rozamus said the accident happened just two months before she was set to get married.
"For six weeks, I was in a brace so I didn't have my hand at all. I had a thumb, that's all I could use. I still had a million of things to do before a wedding," said Rozamus.
Rozamus said she couldn't wear any rings until her wedding day.
"I couldn't wear my ring up until the day of my wedding because my fingers were so swollen," she said.
She is grateful to the doctors that saved her fingers.
Now, she says she'll never take the little things for granted.
"You don't realize how much you use your fingers and everything until something like this happens," she said.
