Man who was electrocuted wears his scars with ‘pride’

By Emma Dunn

A dad was given a five percent chance of survival after he was electrocuted by 4,160 volts - and now wears his scars with "pride."

John Pendleton, 36, was working as a rock miner on a piece of heavy machinery - which runs off electricity - when the high voltage entered his head.

He doesn't remember what happened or why but woke up nine days later from a coma - with third and fourth degree burns to 30 percent of his upper extremities.

John had a brain bleed, skull fracture and traumatic brain injury and his wife Tiffany Pendleton, 35, was told he only had a five percent chance of making it.

The dad-of-two had surgeries to remove the burnt skin from his head and seven blood transfusions.

John had a 12 hour skin graft operation using a muscle from his back which was put on his head as a flap.

He came home after two months in hospital and now wears his scars with pride.

John, a podcaster and content creator, from West Palm Beach, Florida, said: "I was hit by 4,000 volts - it entered the right side of my head and left on the left side of my neck.

"They had Tiffany with a pastor - there was a high chance I was not going to make it.

"When I got to Jackson Memorial Hospital they said I had a five percent chance of living.

"I coded twice - two times I died.

"If it wasn't for her I know I would not have made it."

John has no memory of what happened on September 2019 but was told he was taken to nearby trauma center in West Palm Beach.

He underwent an emergency tracheotomy after aspirating in his lungs before being airlifted to Miami Burn Center.

There he spent nine days in a coma.

John said: "I remember a lot of my coma - it was terrifying.

"My wife was there when I woke up. She said you've been electrocuted.

"I did not remember who Tiffany was.

"She showed me pictures of the kids and I didn't remember them.

"When she'd gone I kept looking at the calendar and I realized it was my wife's birthday and it all came back."

Doctors did several surgeries to remove the dead skin from John's head and drilled holes into his skull to try and see if his tissue would regenerate.

They tried to save John's right ear but it was so badly burnt and causing him so much pain he chose to have it removed. He also lost 40 percent of his left one.

John said: "The first time I really looked at myself in the mirror I had bandages on - I didn't see how bad my head was.

"The right side of my face was burned all the way on my cheek.

"That skin was melting off my face.

"When the bandages came off I could see my own skull."

Doctors decided to perform a skin graft when John's tissue wasn't growing back.

He said: "They took the muscle from the left side of my back and put it on my head as a flap.

"When I came out my head was in some of the worst pain I have ever had to go through. It was terrible."

John was told he had a chance of not being able to walk but he refused and immediately asked to try - and was able to.

John came home in November 2019 but still had a long recovery.

Tiffany would have to burn John's head with silver nitrate to stop the keloids.

John said: "She would have to burn my head every other day.

"As my head was healing it would cause keloids. She had to rub it on them to burn them down.

"She had to physically hurt me to help me."

John also struggled mentally - to come to terms with his new appearance and that he was never going to go back to his job that he loved.

He said: "It killed me that I couldn't go out and work again.

"Being a Blue Collar man it took a lot of pride."

Tiffany encouraged John to start talking on social media to help share his story.

The pair also started a blue collar apparel line.

John said: "I did a video on TikTok where I showed all my scars. Comments started flooding in.

"People started telling me how my story was helping them."

Now the couple also do a podcast speaking to people who have been through all kinds of trauma.

He said: "It just humbles you.

"The podcast really helped me heal."

In the past five years, John has had over 30 surgeries - including laser surgeries to help his turn his neck.

He wears a protective bump hat insert as he has been left with a hole in his skull - and can feel his brain on one spot on his head.

His brain injury sometimes means he can't control his emotions and impacts his short term memory.

He said: "My brain injury hasn't stopped me living.

"I'm grateful I can stand up, walk, talk and move.

"I accepted that is is the way I look.

"I wear my scars with pride.

"In the beginning, it was hard to accept them.

"But I can't change it - why hide it."