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Exclusive | I went from 6′ to 2’8″ when I was amputated below the belly button — what made me cry wasn’t even the injuries

Nypost · · 837 words · By Tracy Swartz
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What to know about Exclusive

I went from 6′ to 2’8″ when I was amputated below the belly button — what made me cry wasn’t even the injuries Loren Schauers was “extremely happy and fulfilled” in his construction job — until a routine task in 2019 upended his life forever.

Claims checked 13
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

I went from 6′ to 2’8″ when I was amputated below the belly button — what made me cry wasn’t even the injuries Loren Schauers was “extremely happy and fulfilled” in his construction job — until a routine task in 2019 upended his life forever.

Why it matters

I got in the forklift, and I was asked to move a water barrier back into place,” recalled Schauers, who was 18 at the time.

Common ground

“I sank immediately into such an angle that I started to slow tip up and go down towards a 50-foot drop of a hill,” he continued.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/15/health/teen-went-from-6-to-28-after-amputation-bel…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
schedule Pending 3
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
info
Claim 1: “He went from being nearly 6 feet tall to 2 feet, 8 inches, with a weight that hovers around 90 pounds.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific measurements (6ft to 2ft 8in and 90 lbs) appear in one detailed report; while other sources confirm the amputation, they do not repeat these specific metrics.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Schauers’ injuries are extremely devastating: He went from being nearly 6 feet tall to 2 feet, 8 inches, with a weight that hovers around 90 pounds.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/15/health/teen-went-from-6-to-28-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Discover Loren Schauers' story of resilience after a forklift accident changed his life and how friends' reactions shaped his journey.This fall initiated a series of events that would leave Loren figh…
https://www.birdsadvice.com/loren-schauers-forklift-accident…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Loren Schauers looked back with his wife at how far he has come after the terrible tragedy with a YouTube video compiling moments over last 3 years.
https://meaww.com/man-marks-3-years-since-he-was-crushed-und…
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Claim 2: “He shares his struggles and triumphs on Wednesday’s premiere of “One Day in My Body,” airing at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The new TLC series highlights inspiring patients with extremely unusual medical conditions.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including the TLC website and news reports, confirm his appearance in the series 'One Day in My Body'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A new show, "One Day in My Body" just debuted on TLC, featuring Great Falls resident Loren Schauers. This is not something you keep scrolling past. This is the type of toughness that makes you pause a…
https://kyssfm.com/ixp/108/p/montana-loren-schauers-tlc-stor…
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web search NEUTRAL — Loren Documentary Tlc. 23.1M views. Explore Loren Schauers' remarkable recovery journey after a life-changing accident, showcasing resilience and transformation. Discover his inspiring story on TLC!
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/loren-documentary-tlc
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 90 Day Diaries. 7 Little Johnstons. One Day In My Body. The Bad Foot Clinic.90 Day Diaries. Discovery+. Stream What You Love. Your favorite shows, personalities, and exclusive originals, all in one pl…
https://www.tlc.com/shows
schedule
Claim 3: “Schauers was informed he wouldn’t be able to father children.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 4: “Loren Schauers was “extremely happy and fulfilled” in his construction job — until a routine task in 2019 upended his life forever.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Daily Mail, Express, and other web results) confirm Loren Schauers worked in construction and suffered a life-altering forklift accident in 2019.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Loren Schauers had a horror accident at work in 2019 when a forklift fell on top of him and pinned him to the ground, resulting in life-changing injuries.Loren Schauers had the lower half of his body …
https://www.ladbible.com/news/health/loren-schauers-cut-in-h…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Loren Schauers, 19, from Montana in the US, was working at a construction project on a bridge before the tragic accident. He got too close to the edge and the ground started crumbling underneath him.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/builder-crushed-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Loren Schauers, 20, was crushed by a forklift in a horrific accident in 2019 and documents his journey on YouTube with his wife - but the couple say questions about their sex life are 'disrespectful'.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/young-man-chopped-half…
help
Claim 5: “Before the horrific accident, Schauers had been dating and living with Sabia Reiche for about 15 months.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the duration of his relationship or living arrangement with Sabia Reiche prior to the accident.
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Claim 6: “He underwent a hemicorporectomy, a rare surgery that amputates the body below the waist.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is supported by Wikipedia's definition of the procedure and multiple news reports confirming he underwent a hemicorporectomy.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Hemicorporectomy is a radical surgery in which the body below the waist is amputated, transecting the lumbar spine. This removes the legs, the genitalia, urinary system, pelvic bones, anus, and rectum…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemicorporectomy
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Loren Schauers, 20, underwent a hemicorperectomy back in 2019 after his body became pinned under a four-ton vehicle at a worksite in Wilsall, Montana.Schauers is seen shortly after his hemicorporectom…
https://nypost.com/2022/05/16/i-lost-half-my-body-in-a-forkl…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Need to know. Loren Schauers survived a catastrophic forklift accident at 18 that resulted in a hemicorporectomy, a surgery in which doctors amputate the body below the waist.
https://www.aol.com/articles/man-24-had-entire-lower-1752496…
info
Claim 7: “they had to make room for a colostomy for his stool to pass through and then a urostomy for urine because he no longer has a bladder.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail about the colostomy and urostomy is mentioned in one detailed source, though it is medically consistent with the hemicorporectomy described in Wikipedia.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — An ileostomy, colostomy, and urostomy are the three common ostomies that a colorectal cancer patient could end up with as part of their treatment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK7oRLGTGJI
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Where a Colostomy Connects to the Colon. A colostomy can be placed at different points along the large intestine, and the location matters because it directly affects what comes out.
https://biologyinsights.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “And then they had to make room for a colostomy for his stool to pass through and then a urostomy for urine because he no longer has a bladder.” Loren Schauers in his electric wheelchair in his home.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/15/health/teen-went-from-6-to-28-…
help
Claim 8: “Reiche, then 20... Reiche, now 27.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the specific ages of Sabia Reiche at the time of the accident or currently.
schedule
Claim 9: “Schauers and Reiche, who wed in 2021”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 10: “Schauers returned home from the hospital about four months after the accident.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 11: “Schauers, now 24, didn’t die while crushed beneath that forklift for 30 minutes.”
CORROBORATED
Independent sources confirm he is now 24 and was trapped beneath the forklift for 30 minutes.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — At just 18-years-old, Loren Schauers' life was changed forever following a horrific workplace accident which resulted in the complete amputation of his lower body.Now aged 24, Loren remarkably survive…
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/man-cut-ha…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Loren Schauers was just 18 when a horrific forklift accident at his construction job led to the amputation of his entire lower body.Loren, now 24, remarkably survived the ordeal despite being trapped …
https://www.express.co.uk/news/us/2196076/i-cut-half-forklif…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Loren Schauers has revealed the pain of family tensions after his accident nightmare and plans for the future with his girlfriend Sabia, in an exclusive interview with the DAILY MAIL.
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15377551/Man-cut-half…
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Claim 12: “The Montana resident lost his pelvis, legs, right forearm — even his genitalia.”
CORROBORATED
Sources confirm he is a Montana resident and lost his legs, pelvis, and part of his right arm; the hemicorporectomy definition in Wikipedia confirms the loss of genitalia and pelvic bones.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In 2019, Loren Schauers was 'cut in half' after a forklift fell from 50ft and landed on him. His injuries were horrific. He lost both legs and part of his right arm. Loren ultimately required ...
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/forklift-accident-s…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Man, 24, Who Had Entire Lower Half of His Body Amputated Reveals Aftermath of His Life-Saving Surgery (Exclusive) "I was really afraid for my future," Loren Schauers says in PEOPLE's ...
https://people.com/man-half-of-body-amputated-one-day-in-my-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A MAN who was cut in half in a horror forklift accident has told of a bitter family feud and how he became a "spectacle" after surviving against all odds. Loren Schauers was just 18 when a catastrophi…
https://www.the-sun.com/news/15635966/man-chopped-half-forkl…
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Claim 13: “Schauers, who was 18 at the time.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources explicitly state he was 18 years old at the time of the accident in 2019.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A man who was cut in half by forklift truck was 'disappointed' by how his friends reacted to his horrorLoren Schauers was driving truck across a bridge in Great Falls, Montana in 2019He revealed some …
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12368951/A-man-cut-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Loren Schauers was just 18 years old when a devastating forklift accident left him fighting for his life and permanently altered his future. Now, five years after the incident, Schauers is focusing on…
https://news.knowledia.com/US/en/articles/accident-survivor-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Loren Schauers was just 18-years-old in September 2019 when he was going about his work on a remote site, before the forklift he was operating fell off a bridge, falling 50ft to the ground below.
https://www.ladbible.com/community/loren-schauers-cut-half-f…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.