Jeremy Renner has issued a touching statement on his 'ReBirthday' after being told he’d never walk again.
On New Year's Day two years back in 2023, the 53-year-old 28 Weeks Later star was tragically crushed by a 14,000-lb. snowplow at his compound near Reno, Nevada, and left in critical condition and nearly immobile.
The accident took place after Renner got into the vehicle, which was parked on an icy road, to clear the snow from his mountain vacation home, which is where his family gathered for the occasion.
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Renner's nephew, Alex Fries, was detaching the chain connecting the car to the plow.
However, Renner couldn't see him and, concerned for his safety, leaned out of the plow but failed to set the parking brake and subsequently fell out of the vehicle.
Worried the seven-tonne snowplow would roll into Fries, Renner then attempted to jump back in but devastatingly got caught underneath the 9-ft-tall vehicle which ended up running over him.
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Paramedics eventually arrived at the scene and rushed him to hospital, where the family discovered Renner suffered life-threatening blunt chest trauma, resulting in a collapsed lung, a lacerated liver and more than 30 broken bones.
While he was discharged from the hospital after just two weeks, the actor was unable to get out of bed for an entire month and also had to learn to walk again following the traumatic accident.
And now, two years on, Renner has issued a statement thanking those who helped 'put him back together again'.
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Taking to Instagram on New Year's Day yesterday (1 January), Renner captioned a snap of him and him medical team at the time: "Happy New Year blessings to you all…. Ringing in my second 'ReBirthday' today.
"I send out my love, respect, and gratitude for the army of people that it took to put me back together again. Thank you to each and every nurse, doctor, first responder... I literally owe you my life."
He continued: "All my heart goes out to my beautiful, brave nephew and the angels (my neighbours) who jumped to my aid and endured the chaos for 45 long minutes on the icy asphalt New Years morning.
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"I’m so sorry all the haunting images I imprinted on you all (I'll spare you all from the meat grinding images)..."
Explaining that is 'gratitude list' is 'very long', Renner thanked: "My gratitude list is very long... With the amount of love and prayers that flooded in from you all around the world (needing each and everyone of them), my family never leaving my side, with some divine intervention, a bit of luck and a whole lot of miracles … I stand strong again.
"More Open. More Loved. More Connected. And f*cking BLESSED to take my next step, to take MY NEXT BREATH."
Renner rounded off the heartfelt post adding: "Thank you with every fibre and cell in my body. I love you ALL."
Topics: Celebrity
Rhiannon Ingle