 "Photo: Paul Burt")
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Driving east through Louisiana, UTD student Paul Burt fell asleep at the wheel.
It was June 26. Burt, honored by the American Southwest Conference for his 2003 performance in cross-country racing, was on Interstate 49.
The sophomore computer science major had been driving the family van since 6 a.m. His father and mother discussed which way to go and did not notice how tired their son had become. They were on their way to Florida to see Burt's older brother, Dave, graduate.
At around 10 a.m., they were near Natchitoches. The roads were slick from rain, and Burt's eyes were heavy. That's when Burt fell asleep, veered off the road and crashed.
"The car flipped several times before it came to rest," Burt said. "I don't remember much of it. I didn't come to until we were in the hospital."
He woke up in Shreveport's Louisiana State University Medical Center with three broken neck bones, a fractured left color bone and a collapsed left lung.
Burt - who represented UTD at the 2003 NCAA Division III Southeast Region meet - will not get a chance this year to follow up the most successful individual season in UTD history.
Burt said his father needed two days to recover, and his mother recuperated with added rest, but his injury was more
complex.
On June 28, Burt was placed in a halo brace, which he continues to wear.
The brace is an initial treatment for neck bone fractures. Pins secure the brace to the outer layer of the skull, and two metal rods secure the plastic jacket, arresting almost all movement of the cervical spine.
Patients wear the brace for three months with a 15-85 percent chance of full recovery, according to the manufacturer of the brace.
Burt said his brace prevents him from turning his head and torso, as well as running and driving; however, he's still able to attend classes at UTD with help.
"My brother's living as my caretaker, which worked out for both of us," Burt said jokingly, "because he needed to have a place to stay when he came to Dallas."
The elder Burt said he is happy to help his younger brother. Both said they look forward to the brace's removal and a full recovery.
On Oct. 5, Burt said doctors will tell him if his bones have healed. If so, he will wear a neck brace 23 hours a day to support the weakened muscles.
"My neck will be very weak, because the muscles will have contracted from atrophy," Burt said. "It's like with a baby, how their head is too weak to hold itself up."
UTD baseball and cross-country racing coach Brandon Rains said he is also looking forward to Burt's recovery.
"He's one of the top runners in the country, and we definitely miss him," Rains said.
Burt said doctors expect him to have a full recovery; however, he does not have immediate plans to return to cross country running.
"I felt pretty good about achieving that type of success (in cross-country racing)," Burt said. "When you actually make that kind of progress, it's exhilarating. There are things that you miss: the people are cool, the team is nice and the thrill of the race ... but, even if I could go back now, there'd be a lot of catching up to do."
Through the help of physical therapy, Burt said he hopes to be driving again by December.
He said his brush with mortality has inspired him to drive more carefully, and it has given him a more sober view of the world.
"I think you should appreciate what you have, because it can change any day," Burt said. "It can drastically change for the worst."
Once the halo brace is off, Burt said he plans to take an hour-long shower, play Ultimate Frisbee and then take another hour-long shower.
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