MIDWEST CITY, Okla. — A power saw accident on Saturday evening resulted in a local handyman losing several fingers, a traumatic injury that has deeply impacted both him and his wife.
John Russell, who runs a handyman business alongside his wife Tammy, was working in their garage cutting wood when the accident occurred. Tammy, who was painting outside at the time, was startled by a sudden, anguished scream from her husband.
“I heard this horrific scream, and he came running, holding his hands, saying he needed to go to the emergency room immediately,” Tammy recalled.
John was bleeding heavily, and with only basic tools on hand, Tammy quickly improvised a tourniquet using a jacket tied around his wrist to slow the bleeding before rushing him to the hospital.
Despite medical efforts to save the fingers, doctors determined the damage was too severe. John was left with only his thumb on his dominant hand.
“They wanted to try to save them, but I knew there was no point,” John said. “When I asked what was holding the fingers together, the doctor said ‘skin.’ I told them to just take them.”
Tammy described the injury as horrific and especially devastating because it affected John’s working hand.
“This was his right hand—the one he uses every day. It was awful,” she said.
Now, the couple hopes their experience serves as a cautionary tale for others who use power tools, no matter how experienced they are.
“That saw can jump and bite you, no matter how good you think you are,” John said.
Despite the severity of his injury and ongoing pain, John is determined to continue working and find ways to adapt to his new circumstances.
