OCALA, FL. (352 Today) — Aidan Perry doesn’t remember everything about June 7, but he’ll never forget the gold cross necklace that may have saved his life.
The 20-year-old Ocala man was accidentally shot in the chest with a .40-caliber pistol at a friend’s apartment in Sumter County. What could have been a fatal injury turned miraculous when the bullet struck a gold cross Perry was wearing around his neck, deflecting its trajectory away from his heart.
“It would have went into his chest and probably caused devastating injury to his heart,” said Dr. Dana Taylor, a trauma surgeon at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital during a Fox News interview. “It definitely would have been a different outcome for Aidan.”
Dr. Taylor appeared with Perry on “FOX & friends FIRST” Tuesday morning to share the story of his recovery. Perry was initially taken to HCA Florida Trailwinds Emergency, a freestanding ER in The Villages that is part of the HCA Florida Ocala Hospital system. There, the trauma team was notified and prepared to receive him at the hospital’s main campus — a Level I trauma center, the highest level of trauma care available.
Despite the bullet entering his chest, it exited near Perry’s armpit and fractured his left humerus, sparing his vital organs. Perry underwent emergency treatment at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and is now recovering at home with his family, who are calling his survival a miracle.
Experts say the first 60 minutes after a critical injury — often called the Golden Hour — is the most crucial window for lifesaving care. HCA Florida Ocala Hospital’s designation as a Level I trauma center was a key factor in Perry’s survival, Dr. Taylor said.
HCA Florida Ocala Hospital is part of HCA Healthcare, which operates more than 100 trauma centers nationwide. The organization has made expanding access to high-level trauma care a system-wide priority in recent years.
The full interview with Aidan Perry and Dr. Dana Taylor can be viewed on Fox News.