Youre pretty tall. I thought there is no way i can stand at an operating room table. Would you feel comfortable trusting that doctor with your life . Have you ever had a single patient tell you, i dont want you treating me . What about a doctor forced to improvise . You cant be back here. I need a knife. Thats just another day in the office on mt. Everest. Saving a clients life with whatever she had on hand or foot. Were just making it up as you were going . I have to throw everything at this guy. He was dying. Tonight, you will see that sometimes the smallest differences can make all the difference. The good doctors brilliance and brave brave bravery. I need to get to san jose hospital. Lower amplitude means lower voltage. Hes the hero like any other. A brilliant visionary surgeon. That wont be enough to relieve the outlove of structure. Who just happens to have autism and his condition leads to strokes of medical genius. But also, moments of awkwardness and alienation. Why are we talking about that here . Theres the prejudice of a Hospital Board and staff. Surgeon needs to communicate. Can dr. Murphy do that . Im done bribing and im done talking. Lets go no, no, no. Reporter this may be the first time a doctor with a severe disability is the lead of a primetime drama, but its certainly not the first time such a doctor has put on scrubs in real life. Imagine if your doctor couldnt see . Dr. Tim cordes of wisconsin is blind, but hes able to identify irregular heartbeats without a stethoscope because of his advanced hearing. What if your doctor who couldnt hear . Dr. Philip zazove of michigan is deaf, but hes able to use a stethoscope because hes hypersensitive to vibration. He also reads lips to communicate. This locks in the knees. They are both locked in place. Those two . Reporter or, how would you react if you thought your surgeon was unable to stand over the operating table . And i have a belt in here. Reporter before you answer, meet dr. Chris mcculloh of the Morristown Medical Center in new jersey. Wow reporter his 20,000 standing wheelchair is a feat of engineering. I didnt know, chris, but youre pretty tall. Im 63, but that actually becomes more of a challenge. Reporter enabling this thirdyear general surgery resident to do something so remarkable, only a handful of paralyzed doctors in the country can do it stand. How many times a day do you do this . Five, six times a day. Reporter chris had always wanted to be a surgeon, but his medical career was almost over before it began. I had already been accepted to medical school. What happened . I was standing up from being seated at my desk. And i slipped, and my whole body went up and i came crashing down. Im 63, 200 pounds of me landed on the edge of a thick glass coffee table. My head snapped backwards and i broke the vertebra in my neck. I knew when i couldnt move my legs that something was wrong. In the back of my mind i was, i was yelling please dont let me be paralyzed, id rather be dead. Really, you actually thought that . Oh, yeah. I thought my life was over. Reporter the onetime avid skier underwent months of rehabilitation, strengthening his body, rebuilding his resolve. When i got to rehab they said, youre probably never going to walk again, and i said, oh, they dont know what theyre talking about. Reporter chris made it through medical school, and eventually learned that his socalled disability actually plays to his advantage. He comes into the room at a level thats more of a patients level. You mean, literally . At eye level. And that helps a lot. Reporter in fact, one Study Suggests patients perceive doctors to be giving them more quality time when the doctor is sitting during consults, instead of standing. So you think the fact that hes lower, actually, really helps. I think the fact that hes lower and and a lot of it is his innate personality. Reporter but right now, its all about chriss skill as a surgeon, not his bedside manner. We watch as he heads in to assist on a double mastectomy supported by his hydraulic wheelchair. It levels the playing field. I can get to everyones level and get to the table just like everyone else. I dont want to be treated differently than anybody else or ask for any different accommodations or ask for anyone to do things differently. So, this thing allowed your dreams to come true . It did. It absolutely did. You look a lot. Better than you did last week. I think it certainly gives me the opportunity to connect with patients. They look and they can see very visibly that ive been in the bed. I know whats like. Youre a nice kid, and youre very smart, but you dont belong here. How many times was that said to you . More than i can count. Reporter tyler sextons journey from patient to doctor has been one long uphill battle. He suffers from spastic diplegia. It is a form of cerebral palsy, a chronic neuromuscular condition that affects balance, as well as movement below the waist. But, his condition affects more than his legs. Does the disease also affect your eyes . Theres no visual impairment at all but, there is a lazy eye is the common term. So, yes. Reporter an obstacle that has tripped up this good doctor since he was born six weeks premature. The doctor called us in and he said he will definitely be physically disabled and may never get out of a wheelchair. He will probably be mentally disabled. Doctors would tell me that i wouldnt amount to anything. That i could sharpen pencils for a living. Doctors told you that . Yes. Reporter when tyler was 3, he got his first walker but he still had trouble keeping his balance. You broke bones because you fell so much. Correct. Ive broken almost every bone in my body. Major bones, from knees to wrists, to ankles, all my fingers, i used to fall four to six times a day. Reporter but, instead of giving up, he kept getting up. Needing help with his own two legs, he turned to someone with four, this is danny, tylers service dog. So youre using his body weight to keep yourself from falling . Correct. Because the way i walk my body, is it goes back and forth. It keeps me controlled. I can go slow, go up and downstairs. Reporter tyler says there were years growing up when the teasing was relentless. It got so bad i would pretend that i was blind, and nobody would mess with the blind guy. Reporter tyler says he could handle the taunts from other kids, but the discouragement from adults is what threw him off balance. I had an interview at this medical school, and he looked at me. He said, you will never be a doctor. And i said, why . He said, because they wont come to you. Did you start to rethink your commitment to becoming a doctor . I will tell you that i was broken. Reporter broken but not beaten, he applied to a dozen medical schools in the United States, and despite having straight as, every Single School rejected him. Still, he refused to accept that patients would shun him. He just needed that degree. You did manage to get into a medical school i did. Outside the country. I did. I went to the university of Sint Eustatius school of medicine on an island of statia. Reporter a small medical school in the middle of the caribbean. Tyler graduated in 2011, and was surprised when a hospital back in the states was willing to take him on for his residency. The kind of support dr. Shaun murphy finds in the good doctor. We hire shaun, and we make this hospital better for it. We hire shaun and we are better people for it. I could give you a list of the doctors that did believe in me. The good doctors. How in the World Medical schools passed on him, is incomprehensible. Its a shame because they missed out on a rock star. Reporter now the head of pediatrics at this hospital in mississippi, tyler says most of his patients are kids with special needs of their own, theyve never objected to a doctor with a service dog. And as for those College Advisers who told him people would not want him as their doctor. Have you ever had a single patient tell you, i dont want you treating me . Never. Not once. Matter of fact, they ask for me. Without dr. Sexton we dont know where wed be. We were so grateful to find him. Dr. Sexton is a pediatric god. Reporter to make his young patients feel at ease, he wears superhero tshirts. Do you have one of those tshirts on every single day . Every day. And i teach kids that theyre Something Special and theyre super. Were all handicapped. Mine, the world can see, but were all struggling with something, and my disability gives me credibility. Action coming up next the very good actor. Whos become the good doctor. One that comes with a bright responsibility to portray him as an authentically as possible. Were taking you behind the scenes. I think shaun could coexist in the real world. Well be right back. Hello again. Hi. Get up to 400 towards a galaxy note8 or s8 with qualifying tradein. Only on samsung. Com your body was made for Better Things than rheumatiod arthritis. Before you and your rheumatologist move to another treatment, ask if xeljanz xr is right for you. Xeljanz xr is a oncedaily pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. It can reduce pain, swelling and further joint damage, even without methotrexate. Xeljanz xr can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other cancers have happened. Dont start xeljanz xr if you have an infection. Tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. Your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz xr, and monitor certain liver tests. Tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. Xeljanz xr can reduce the symptoms of ra, even without methotrexate. Ask your rheumatologist about xeljanz xr. Pre crowd cheering presents for them, kohls cash for you announcer kohls. Give joy. Get joy. But their nutritional needs vremain instinctual. D, thats why theres purina one true instinct. Nutrientdense, proteinrich, real meat number one. This is a different breed of natural nutrition. Purina one, true instinct. Your todo list is crazy. Which is why the Online Finance application at carmax. Com is so convenient. Get some of that finance stuff done from wherever you are, like at the doctor, karate or. Back at the doctor. Ha ha ha, yay kids wide open, please. Its the provocative role that has everyone talking. A young surgical resident with autism. Struggling to succeed in a pay jar hospital. Playing the role of dr. Shaun murphy has brought acclaimed for act actor, earning his first actor in tv drama. I think people have responded to shauns optimism, to his hopeful outlook on the world. The fact that hes not judgmental. Reporter youve first met the 25yearold english actor as a boy when he landed a key role in the movie finding neverland. Thank you. Reporter he turned to a darker more adult role with his star turn as norman bates in the a and e drama bates motel. For his latest role, he said he found the opportunity to play the complexing demanding role dr. Shaun murphy to be an irresistible challenge. A great responsibility to portray him as awe thennicly as possible. With regards tos his autism. Reporter that commitment to authenticity is evident here behind the scenes of the good doctor in vancouver, canada. He rehearses for an upcoming scene with his actors. To replicate a real working hospital. Im dr. Shaun murphy. Im a surgical resident. Reporter that attention to accuracy is seen in st. Bonaventure o. R. Where dr. Clair brown. Somethings wrong. Reporter is rehearsing for a surgery scene. A medical consultant is on hand to make every procedure is performed by the book. Hello, im dr. Shaun murphy. Im a surgical resident. Reporter but when it comes to portrayal of a doctor with autism, is the good doctor truly accurate . One aspect of the show that some might find hard to swallow is when dr. Murphy performs an incredible feat of die know ses that shows him remembering intricate past. The shaun vision, trying to get inside his mind and see how his experiencing a particular moment. There tends to be one area theyre practically gifted and skilled in. Reporter she says those stroke of diagnosing genius is entirely possible for a person with autism. One of the ways they process information differently theyre really good at pattern recognition or picking up on patterns. Less intrusive cut. For dr. Murphy its able to put together this picture and figure out whats going on in an out of box sort of way. Many documented cases of people with savant. A man named kim peak who inspired the movie rain man. Here Dustin Hoffman shows how his character uses his ability to instantly count hundreds of objects to cheat at cards. There are lots of them . Very big. Reporter but there can be a flip side to that kind of genius. And awkwardness with social interaction. This is perhaps the greatest challenge facing the character of dr. Shaun murphy, who lacks anything approaching bed seidl manner. She has a sarcoma. A malignant tumor. Its definitely malignant. If it werent malignant zmrsh more typical of a person on a spectrum. Its not that he doesnt have empathy, its more challenging and a little bit more difficult to put themselves in another persons shoes. It doesnt shy away from fully embracing shauns persona. Part of my weirdness is that i keep thinking about things. Reporter as seen in the mid season finale. Where he has a meltdown. The unfortunate truth is that shaun like everyone else will make mistakes and that will be heartbreaking when they have more severe consequences. Reporter in the end, he says he hopes the shows attempt at a real itselfic portrayal can make people think twice about those with autism can achieve in work place. I think shaun could ourse exist in the real world. Hes not a caricature. Im sure theres shaun out there in the world. Next, he can turn an Airline Terminal into makeshift o. R. She can do the same on the side of mt. Everest. Saving a life. I felt like hes going to die. With makedo medicine. We used viagara. Viagara . When we come back. And i quit smoking with chantix. I tried, um, cold turkey. I tried the patches. I was tired and i was fed up. I wanted to try something different. Along with support, Chantix Varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking. Chantix reduced my urge to smoke. Compared to the nicotine patch, chantix helped significantly more people quit smoking. When you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Some people had changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, or suicidal thoughts or actions with chantix. Serious side effects may include seizures, new or worse heart or blood vessel problems, sleepwalking or allergic and skin reactions which can be lifethreatening. Stop chantix and get help right away if you have any of these. Or other Mental Health problems. Decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. Use caution when driving or operating machinery. The most common side effect is nausea. Im finally free of smoking. 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Indulge in brand new cheesefilled gnocchi topped with tender grilled chicken plus unlimited salad and breadsticks allnew flavorfilled pastas. For a limited time only at olive garden. For a limited time only at olive garden. To consider protect and grow. There are two halves instead of focusing on insurance or investments alone, we bring them together into one whole picture. At northwestern mutual, we guide you along your path by combining personalized investments and worldclass insurance. Thats one of the reasons 96 percent of our clients stay with us year after year. Take the first step. Connect with an advisor at northwesternmutual. Com. Reporter when a fluke airport accident nearly takes a young boys life, dr. Murphy springs into action. Excuse me. Reporter with no available surgical tools, hes forced to rely on what he can find a box cutter for a scalpel, some dutyfree bourbon for sterilization, and plastic tubi into a pump, saving a boy from a collapsed lung. He saved his life. One of the things that makes shaun appealing is his ability to think on his feet and come up with solutions tha others and others in hospital dont necessarily see. It also gives him insight. Reporter that singular skill is known as improvised medicine and dr. Luanne freer is one of the few realworld physicians who make it their practice. There are just a handful of us physicians who find this great challenge and its just a real turnon to be able to macgyver, you know, a way to deal with an emergency. How to get somebody better when you dont have all the equipment. Reporter here at mt. Everest, the worlds tallest, and deadliest mountain, known to locals as goddess mother of the world, sits a tented clinic so isolated. Medical improvisation is a must. Dr. Luanne freer has acquired the skills of a virtuoso. Freer, a wilderness enthusiast, launched this place 14 years ago. It sits nearly 18,000 feet high on the side of the mountain and its open two months each spring, when hundreds of people come from around the world, to try and summit mt. Everest. In her time, freer has fashioned a stretcher from coiled rope a tarp. Shes set broken bones with trekking poles. Too much pain . Reporter shes even extracted teeth with pliers from local sherpa guides. Yeah, its pretty rooted in there. Reporter but its the visiting climbers who usually need the most serious attention. This is a deadly and has been a deadly adventure for many people. Tragedies happen every year, our bodies are not designed to live in this austere environment. Theres no oxygen, the conditions are brutal. Reporter so brutal that nearing the 29,029foot summit, oxygen ceases to exist. Its an area called the death zone. By far the greatest risk to climbers is High Altitude pulmonary edema or hape reduced oxygen in the air causes some blood vessels in the lungs to dangerously constrict. The pressure causes those vessels to leak, filling the airways with blood, making breathing difficult, even impossible. But perhaps dr. Freers greatest macgyver episode happened when she crossed paths with joe and liz hughes. Avid mountaineers, the couple met while climbing a mountain in south africa. South america. Although deny it was love at first height. No. It was friendship yes. It was a kindred spirit. Youre doing something thats very dangerous. We watched out for each other. Reporter both were experienced climbers. They felt like they were destined to be together, though it also seemed they would never hear little footsteps behind them. You didnt even think you could get pregnant no, it wasnt supposed to be in the cards for me. Repter but conquering mt. Everest was, and the couple vowed to do it as a team. It can be the most incredible experience but it its also a killer. People die there. Yes. Were you fully aware of the risks . Did it make you give give it a Second Thought at all . Of course, theres always, y but i was up for the challenge and i was ready to do it. You gamed the risks and figured out this exactly. Is worth the risk . Its worth the risk. Reporter after six months of intensive training, they set off in the spring of 2004. Their plans quickly went awry. When was the first time you met them . They came to meet me because they were concerned because liz kept getting dizzy and passing out. What did you think as you examined her and talked to her . I thought, wow, we better just make sure that you couldnt be pregnant cause pregnancy can cause you to feel a little bit dizzy and woozy. She diagnosed me pregnant on the mountain. And you had no idea no idea. And it shocks me to this day to even think about it, yeah. Wow. Reporter the news, thrilling. The timing, not so much. About to be a mother, liz knew this climb of a lifetime was over. Did you tell her she should descend immediately . I did. We both cried a little bit. Reporter joe was so overjoyed, he proposed on the spot. I said, do you want me to come . And she was like, no, i cant let this stop your lifes dream. Reporter as liz headed home to the states, joe pushed on, scaling 21,000 feet up the side of mt. Everest. 8,000 more to go before he can claim victory. Along the way, he had been making recordings for students back home who were following his everest adventure. For the past four days weve been sitting in base camp and it feels like forever. When you sit you get weaker, your muscles start to get tight. Reporter now, suddenly feeling weak he makes what would be his last dispatch. But i dig deep. I pushed so hard that i collapsed. And this morning all i want to do is sleep. All of a sudden, im feeling like i cant breathe. Im feeling tired. I feel like im working hard. But in my mind, im climbing mt. Everest. Youre supposed to feel like this. Reporter a film crew on the mountain turns its lens on joe who can no longer walk without help. Tantalizingly close to the summit, his lifelong dream slips away as an emergency call goes out. American climber joe hughes has to be helped and often carried down over 5,000 vertical feet past the treacherous khumbu icefall. We got reports from other climbers who past him on the icefalls, that this guy doesnt look so goods. Reporter fearing the worst, luanne sends sherpas with a stretcher to help bring joe down the mountain. Blood is beginning to flood joes lungs, his life is slipping away, but instead of being wheeled into a hospital hes being carried into a tent. It will require the daring, improvisational medicine of dr. Freer and a big dose of good fortune for joe to make it home alive. Stay with us. You are a city city wall, city wall she could be dancing down a hall, dancing down a hall were turning heads, were turning heads, were turning heads, oh yeah and nothing can stop us now some might say that love is blind that romance is a silly game and just a waste of time shop Pandora Jewelry and gift Something Wonderful this holiday season. Give joy with 25 off nike joy and get joy with kohls cash for you take 25 off select nike hoodies, shoes and more short on time . Buy online and pick up free in store give joy, get joy with nike at kohls. This weekend get great deals on last minute gifts. Save big with weekend deals every weekend. Only at target. It all starts with a wish. The final days of wish list are here. Hurry in and sign and drive off in a new lincoln with zero down and a complimentary first months payment. Reporter joe hughes never thought hed be here inside of a clinic, on the face of mt. Everest. Suffering from High Altitude pulmonary edema, with his new fiancee and unborn child. Waiting for him to come home. The calls stopped and i was trying not to think the worst. Reporter theres only one person who can save him, dr. Luanne freer, and from her makeshift everest e. R. , shes about to give a master class in medical improvisation documented by a film crew. What was his condition when he finally did arrive, carried into your tent . He he was gravely ill. He was blue, he was gasping to breathe. You could hear the bubbling in his chest without a stethoscope because blood is literally leaking into the reporter pooling in his own lungs . In in your lungs, yeah. And you can eventually drown . Right, people drown in their own blood. And and its the most common cause of death at High Altitude. Reporter now, dr. Freer is scrambling to figure out what to do, and the situation is becoming more dire by the moment. More o2. Whats that . More o2. He was the closest to death ive ever seen of somebody with High Altitude pulmonary edema. Whats the normal treatment for it . High flow oxygen will help reverse the process. Unfortunately, in austere settings, you dont have unlimited oxygen. What kind of medications did you give him . We gave him everything i could think of that could decrease the Blood Pressure in the lung. Reporter her skills pushed to limits even dr. Shaun murphy would find daunting. I was wrong. He tried. I was wrong. Your parents hate me. I know. Reporter were you just making it up as you were going . A little bit. At that point, i felt like, you know, we got to throw everything at this guy. Hes going to die. Reporter the answer, a little blue pill thats come to many a mans assistance. We used viagra. Viagra . Yeah. Viagra was first developed as a medication to decrease Blood Pressure in the lungs. Oh, really . And then its more lucrative side benefit became known. Reporter in this situation, joe needs a pill every six hours. Did it work . It did. Somebody might ask, why did you have viagra on mt. Everest . We had it specifically for that because we knew we had limited supplies of oxygen. Reporter but there was still the matter of joes severe dehydration. He urgently needs iv fluids and in the zerodegree, spring temperatures of everest that night, thats a tall order, especially when the tents Power Generator briefly goes down. How did you keep the iv liquids from freezing . Thats been something that took me a couple of years to figure out. This is the fluid weve just warmed it up. In a pan of hot water, and its going to freeze, and we want to minimize the heat loss so what we improvise is putting it through the sleeve of a friend. Oh, so then, the tubing runs along their body. Right, everybodys wearing downjackets, and why not use this body heat thats trapped in the downjackets. Reporter the iv had worked but joe wasnt out of danger yet. D around to the expedition leader and i sa t wo. He needs to go to somebody who treats High Altitude pulmonary edema. Reporter as night turns to day, joe desperately needs to get to a hospital. But, a Helicopter Rescue at that altitude is impossible, the air is too thin. So the sherpas must improvise as well, on dr. Freers request, they take turns carrying joe 5,000 feet down the mountain, where he can be safely flown to the nearest hospital before returning to liz. I have told luanne many times i would be raising my daughter alone if it wasnt for her. Reporter his life had been spared that night on the deadly mountain by the heroics a savvy, quickthinking wilderness doctor, unafraid to think out of the box. What she was able to do and what she was able to come up with is not part of medical training. Thats instinct. Thats on par with the ability to, you know, rescue a soldier. Reporter nine months later, the Hughes Family had a chance to express its appreciation. You named your daughter after yes, absolutely. The woman who saved your life. Absolutely. Reporter tara luanne is now a spirited 12yearold. Shes grown up immersed in the folklore of her parents journey to mt. Everest. Hoping one day to have the chance to embrace her namesake. I think i am going to be at a loss for words because it will be the first time seeing the woman who saved my dads life and the woman who told my mom she was pregnant with me. Reporter this week 20 20 brought everyone together. Oh, wait. Hi. Come here. Thank you. I love you. Yep, yep, this is my little family. We didnt see this coming. Did we . No. Next, childhood tragedy turns shaun murph into a doctor. Her sisters tragedy turned ie too. Was hit by a train. But you wont believe the bizarre coincidence that happed later in the e. R. Watch me. Ive tried lots of things for my joint pain. Now . Watch me. Think id give up showing these guys how its done . Please. 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Stores are now open 24 hours. Take an extra 20 off when you spend 100 or more and get kohls cash for you short on time . Buy online and pick up free in store sometthats when he needs the way ovicks vaporub. s sleep. Proven cough medicine. With 8 hours of vapors. So he can sleep. Vicks vaporub. Goodnight coughs. Miim alive and have a second chance. James im thankful for the help and the opportunity that i received. Darlene im thankful to be able to help people in crisis. Vanessa im thankful that addiction is treatable, and that help is available. Christie new jersey is experiencing a heroin epidemic fueled by opioid painkillers. But if you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, i want you to know we are here for you. This holiday season, choose help. Call 844 reach nj or visit reachnj. Gov. You didnt listen to dr. Murphy because you dont respect him. Because dr. Murphy is different. Reporter yes, dr. Shaun murphy is different. You got to be fierce if you want the glory. I dont want the glory, i just want to be a good surgeon. Reporter but in another sense hes exactly like so many others compelled to pursue a career in medicine by the pain of searing personal tragedies. The day that the rain smelled like ice cream. Reporter first, the loss of his beloved pet. My bunny went to heaven. The day that the copper pipes in the old building smelled like burnt food, my brother went to heaven. I think theres the obvious and tragic death of his brother that was in many ways an ins gator for him. Neither one had a chance to become an adult. And i want him to make that possible for other people. Reporter the way murphy reveals his motivation is dramatic, but channeling personal tragedy into professional choice is, in fact, not all that unusual. My inspiration to become a physician assistant is actually my brother, jesse peetz. In 2005, he was stricken with viral meningitis. So when i was 13 years old, i was at a family event where my cousins husband suddenly collapsed in front of us, in the living room. My father was diagnosed with latestage lung cancer. And before my dad passed away, he told me that he thought i had a gift for nursing. And he told me that i had healing hands. Reporter but of all the stories we heard from around the country, the career of dr. Debbie yi follows a path like no other. Today, shes an emergency room doctor at university of california, san francisco. The personal and painful history that got her here began here, 14 years ago. Debbie was sharing a new york city apartment with her sister and best friend, christine. Debbie had recently been working as an Investment Banking analyst when she got some terrifying news. My sister, christine, was in a terrible accident. She was hit by a train a subway train in new york. She tripped on the subway platform and landed in the area between two subway cars. And the train began to drive away and she was still on the track. Her heart stopped at one point . Yes, her heart stopped. She stopped breathing. And a surgical intern provided breaths to her and brought her back to life. Reporter dr. Toni mclaurin was the Orthopedic Surgeon on call when christine arrived, her right leg was completely shattered below the knee. She had an injury that we sort of refer to as a mangled extremity. It tells you that not only is the bone broken, but theres also been significant damage to the skin as well as to the, you know, the muscles surrounding the bone. Reporter what do you remember about the accident that day . Fortunately, i dont actually remember very much. I remember leaving my office that day. And the next thing i remember is being in the dark, in a lot of pain, and someone calling out to me, telling me that help was on the way. It was after her surgery and she asked me why she felt like she couldnt wiggle her toes. What did you tell her . I think that theres no room for sugarcoating things in times like this. And i told her, you were in a terrible accident. And you lost your leg. That had to have been devastating. I think i was on a lot of medication. And i said its okay, my legs werent that long anyway. You made jokes . I didnt realize how hard it would be at the time. I was just happy that i was alive. Reporter the next five weeks were a blur of surgeries 15 in total. Many aimed at saving her knee. If you had lost that that knee, what impact would that have had . The prosthetic leg for an aboveknee amputee doesnt always work. So, it was a huge deal for me to keep my knee. Reporter when discharge day finally came, christine was happy to leave the hospital, debbie, however, had decided to spend her life in one. After my sisters accident, i realized, i have a greater purpose in life. Reporter debbie decided to become a doctor like the ones who saved her sister. You not only chose medicine, but you chose trauma. Any chest pain or trouble breathing . Why choose that particular path . I remember the first time an ambulance came, you know, pushing through, into the emergency room. I remember that feeling i had. I felt like i was reliving what it was like to be in the emergency room when my sister arrived. Reporter during her residency in new york, the abc medical documentary new york med followed dr. Yi, as she tended to a patient who had been shot. Can you squeeze your hand for me, honey . Good. Reporter saved by a man whod been attacked by someone wielding a machete. And treated a woman who was pregnant. Did you actually pass out today . This is why we go into emergency medicine. Ive seen, you know, probably about 4,000 patients now. How are you feeling . Much better. Without fail, whenever i have a patient like this, i will be smiling for the rest of the night. Reporter then, a stunning coincidence. Debbie train versus human being. Reporter dr. Yi, urgently called to treat a patient with traumatic injuries from a subway accident. We just activated trauma. Reporter what was that like for you in that moment . For his safety and his own to actually have a patient come in to the emergency room with injuries so similar to what your sister experienced. When i saw that patient, i knew that i had to take my best care of the patient and the patient had to live. Youre very lucky to be alive. Reporter her sisters accident continues to define debbie, to drive her. I want to provide the best for my patients. And i consider that to be my thank you to all the medical staff who took care of my sister. Reporter yet, for christine, a different choice a determination to put her pain in the past. Thats christine, furiously spinning beside me at her favorite spinning class. Her prosthetic leg not slowing her down one bit. Christine, look at you. Youre pushing the whole time. Reporter through all the blood, sweat and tears, the sisters bond is unbroken. Life moves forward. The wheel keeps spinning. Next, the military man at carmax, well buy your car even if you dont buy one from us. Because maybe you dont want to drive a car anymore, maybe you want to drive a camel. I get it. Camels are great. Well still buy your car. Alright, come on tina. Lets go. Haha, k. Here we go where ya goin . Advil liquigels minis. Our first concentrated pill that rushes powerful relief. A small new size thats fast, cause its liquid. Woohoo youll ask, what pain . New advil liquigels minis. And thats not a tissue protection. Lysol kills over 100 illnesscausing germs and viruses, even those that may cause runny noses. Lysol. What it takes to protect. This weekend get great deals on last minute gifts. Save big with weekend deals every weekend. Only at target. Lets get the one with the candy canes you know, it doesnt matter how you wrap it. Its whats inside that counts. Its a phone for mom. Your gift is already wrapped in verizon. Its the most awarded network ever. announcer give the gift of any google pixel 2 and get 300 off. Stores are now open 24 hours and get kohls cash for you give joy with fine fragrances an American Girl doll or Diamond Jewelry and youll get kohls cash presents for them, kohls cash for you give joy, get joy right now at kohls my name is gregory galeazzi, i was a captain in the United States army, and im now a firstyear medical student at harvard medical school. Reporter greg galeazzis transformation from good soldier to good doctor began violently back in 2011, while he was serving in iraq. Went out just on a normal, daily patrol, and we were on our way back from that mission and walking down the road, out of nowhere, just been hit by a roadside bomb. My legs were gone. My arm was almost completely severed at the elbow as well. Without a medic there to have morphine, there was no sort of pain medication, so the only thing i could do was scream. By the time i was brought to the trauma bay, theyd revived me, what i found out then was that the real nightmare was just beginning. Even with the most loving, supporting family, friends and Community Behind me, i was the one that was there in the middle of the night staring at the clock, in pain, in tears, wondering when or if itll ever get better. With time, eventually, the pain started to settle. I regained my strength. I started to regain my mobility. And as i regained my mobility, i started regained my independence. Having over 50 surgeries hundreds of hours of physical therapy months on end as an inpatient in the hospital. Not only did i want to practice medicine, but it it strengthened my resolve to do it. Over two years, i ended up taking 18 courses. In march of this year 2017, i got the acceptance that i was hoping to get to my Number One School of choice. That was harvard medical school. Its where i met a girl jasmine who eventually is today my fiancee and planning a wedding for next year. So, even though ive gone through this journey, i mean, its not lost on me how unbelievable this ride has been and how lucky i am to be here. Be patient with difficult times and even when things may be getting worse for a little while, just be patient and stick to it. So many incredible real stories of survival. So many good doctors. The good doctor airs monday, 10 00, 9 00 p. M. Central. Thats our show tonight. Im elizabeth vargas. Thanks so much for joining us. Have a great night. Coming up on action news, a tense standoff is just now over in a Lehigh Valley neighborhood. We have a live report. The head of the miss America Pageant is suspended over emails. That story and more next. Action news, dell qair valleys leading news program with jim gardner. It has been a neighborhood under siege in suburban bethlehem, a shelter in place