'The kid in the bathtub': Twenty years later (2024)

John Thompson can't button a shirt, shake your hand or writelegibly.

After 20 years and more than 30 surgeries, the story of an18-year-old farm boy who had his arms ripped off in a piece of oldfarm equipment follows him everywhere.

"To me it was like it was yesterday," said Karen Thompson,John's mother. "It's almost like a branding iron when thesetragedies happen. It's just embedded in you."

On Jan. 11, 1992, a teenager who hated being in front of a crowdwas working on his family's farm in Hurdsfield. He was home alonewhen his arms got caught in a tractor's power takeoff. He wasknocked unconscious.

When he woke up, his arms were gone. But he still got up, walkedto his house and called for help using a pencil in his teeth. Thenhe sat in the bathtub until help came, so he wouldn't drip blood onthe new carpet.

Surgeons reattached his arms and his story became internationalnews.

That story became international news. Twenty years later,Thompson still gets noticed as "the kid in the bathtub."

That's not John Thompson's story anymore. He's told the story somany times, in front of so many people, that it feels like he'stalking about somebody else, telling somebody else's story.

To Thompson "it's not a big deal" anymore, and it "embarrasses"him when people ask to hear the story, the story they probablyalready know, he said.

"I say 'I had my arms ripped off' and pretty much leave it atthat," Thompson said. "It's just something that happened."

But the accident changed every aspect of his life — how he eats,gets dressed, drives a car and even smokes a cigarette.

Thompson has been living in Minot for the last four years,working as a Realtor. But today, he's unemployed and living offdisability. Most employers won't give him a chance because of hisdisability, Karen Thompson said.

"It's not like he can do what the others his age can do," shesaid.

After having his arms reattached and trying to regain somenormalcy in his life, Thompson went to school at the University ofMary. He didn't graduate and after about two years, he begantouring full-time telling his story, talking about farm safety andmotivating others to persevere. He gave that life up in 1995, afterthe road wore him down physically and emotionally.

In 2002, he published a book, "Home in One Piece," about hislife. He wanted to put the accident behind him, but it only madehis life more hectic. Thompson hit the road again, this time doingbook tours, and "Home in One Piece" became a bestseller in theMidwest.

He also got into politics, something he had always enjoyed, andran for the state House in District 40 in 2004. Thompson said hedropped out, but was still on the ballot that year.

Now, Thompson's considering leaving North Dakota and the coldwinters, and moving to someplace warm like Arizona. He can't weargloves, so he uses socks to keep his hands warm. The cold alsomakes the arthritis in his arms worse and the pain that comes withit.

His physical strength continues to deteriorate, and evencollecting socks out of the bottom of the drying machine isdifficult for him.

"My arms don't go straight," he said. "I pretty much have toclimb in there to get the clothes out."

During his time as a Realtor, he had trouble using keys andopening the doors of the houses he was showing. He often had tohand the keys to a client.

"(My hands) are always in a fist, curled up, so it's hard tograb things or carry things," he said.

Things are more difficult for Thompson, but he still does them.He can't button a shirt, but he can slip an already buttoned oneover his head. He can't write legibly, but he's a better typist nowthan he was before the accident. And he can't shake your hand, buthe likes fist bumps.

While others have said he should have done more with his life,he doesn't feel that way. He has good friends who care about himand will come over to change a burned out light bulb. He's closewith his family.

"I can almost sense from miles if he's having a bad day, and hedoes the same with me," his mother said.

Thompson would like to get back into speaking or politics on alocal level. Telling his story still gives him a purpose and makeshim feel like he's making a difference. That's all he really wants:to help others, his mother said.

"Everybody needs to be needed, and that's what he's lookingfor," Karen Thompson said.