Dennis Blackburn

It was meant to be a birthday bash in the countryside. No one planned to have a big red helicopter show up.

“If STARS didn’t come out,” said Dennis Blackburn, ​“I don’t believe I’d be sitting here today.”

Blackburn, a STARS Very Important Patient, remembers the rainy afternoon he was thrown from a tractor that would ultimately tumble over him.

He was at his dad’s acreage with his wife and friends, celebrating his 33^rd birthday. Scouring hilly pasture for some outdoor fun, Blackburn’s pickup became stuck in thick mud. He trudged back to the farm for a tractor and chains.

Rain and hail unfurled as he and his pal returned to the area. 

“As I got up to the hill,” said Blackburn, ​“he jumped off, and I went over the top of the hill and realized I’m in the wrong spot.”

He pointed the tractor’s nose downhill and moved ahead.

“It started sliding because it was raining so hard. I hit a badger hole with my front right tire, and it kind of popped, and it shot me off the tractor.”

As he fell down the hill, he realized he wasn’t alone — the tractor was tumbling close behind. 

“I tried to scurry out of the way, and as I was scurrying, it hit me, and it just pushed me right into the ground,” he said, speculating that ground softened by rain may have spared his life.

The tractor continued rolling; Blackburn stayed put. He was seriously hurt, and before long, 911 was on the line.

“As soon as they heard ​‘tractor rollover’, well, STARS was dispatched right away,” he said.

Emergency responders arrived, and STARS landed nearby. Blackburn remembers firefighters winching him up the hill.

“I remember freaking out a little bit because I don’t like flying,” he smiled. He was thankful, though, for a quick 11-minute flight with critical care providers instead of a rough 45-minute road trip.

At the hospital, it was determined that he had many internal injuries, including multiple broken vertebrae and ribs. At one point, doctors were concerned that he may be partially paralyzed.

“So, that was Sunday,” said Blackburn. ​“I woke up Monday… Tuesday, they had me sit up. Wednesday, I stood. Thursday, I walked. Monday, I walked out of the hospital. It was pretty crazy.”

A year and a half later, he visited the STARS base to be reunited with the crew members from his mission.

“There was a lot of emotion,” he said. ​“Being able to thank them and show them that I’m doing well, it meant a lot.”

He’s since become an active voice for STARS through public speaking and other awareness efforts. When he visited the base again to help with this story, he and his wife Emma introduced STARS to their new baby boy.

“There are so many people that might not be here today without STARS,” said Blackburn. ​“Every day that I’m here is a day I almost didn’t receive. I have a three-month-old baby that would not have been possible without STARS. My wife is not a widow because of STARS. If it’s giving a couple of hours here and there to promote, to raise money, to save lives, I think it’s worth every minute.”