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Sneak peek: Fatal First Date
Leslie Reeves and Chris Smith were changeable during their archetypal date. Only Smith survived. A look astatine however helium defied the likelihood to marque a singular recovery.
The country of the crime
The exterior of Chris Smith's Farmersville, Illinois, home.
Illinois State Police
On the nighttime earlier Thanksgiving 2021, Smith went connected a archetypal day with a pistillate named Leslie Reeves. The greeting after, archetypal responders recovered Smith successful his Farmersville, Illinois, location with a slug lodged successful his brain. Reeves was dead.
Shooting unfortunate successful a coma
Chris Smith was placed successful a medically induced coma aft encephalon surgery.
Chris Smith
EMTs rushed Smith to a infirmary wherever helium underwent encephalon country and was placed successful a medically induced coma.
A slug lodged successful his brain
An X-ray shows a slug fragment successful Chris Smith's brain.
Chris Smith
Fragments of the slug remained successful Smith's brain. His doctors accidental that to retrieve the slug could hazard causing further damage.
Family support
Sharon Costanza with her lad Chris Smith during his hospitalization.
Chris Smith
Smith's mother, Sharon Costanza, and sister, Ashli Holcomb, sat by his broadside during his recovery. Doctors told them chances were precise debased that Smith would instrumentality to his erstwhile level of functioning.
No memory
Chris Smith shares his communicative with "48 Hours."
CBS News
In January 2022, Smith woke from his coma and asked wherever helium was and what had happened. He remembered thing from the nighttime of the shooting. He had nary representation of his day with Reeves, adjacent though he'd been talking connected the telephone and messaging with her 2 weeks earlier the shooting.
A mediocre prognosis
Dr. Victor Williams, Chris Smith's neurosurgeon, talks with "48 Hours" analogous Erin Moriarty.
CBS News
Due to Smith's injuries, his neurosurgeon, Dr. Victor Williams, told Smith helium apt would not beryllium capable to locomotion again. Williams and his squad were dedicated to doing everything they could to assistance Chris' recovery.
A beingness everlastingly changed
Chris Smith
CBS News
Smith's near limb is partially paralyzed from his hep to his knee. From his genu to his toes, helium is wholly paralyzed.After helium near the hospital, helium had to determination backmost successful with his mother.
Regaining his strength
After aggravated carnal therapy, Chris Smith has made unthinkable strides. He's overmuch stronger than erstwhile helium awoke from a coma, but helium discovered determination are gaps successful his memory
CBS News
Most days, Smith goes to the gym and works connected regaining his spot truthful that someday he'll beryllium capable to locomotion without assistance.
A survivor
"She's my angel," Chris Smith says of Michelle Albrecht.
Chris Smith
Smith says helium is determined to clasp connected choky to his caller lease connected life. He is backmost singing with his stone band. And helium projected to his fianceé, Michelle Albrecht.
New aspirations
Chris Smith is backmost arsenic the pb vocalist with his stone band.
CBS News
'Smith hopes to go a motivational talker and has his own website.
A occurrence recovery
"I don't cognize however helium did marque it. I don't recognize however helium did. He's a miracle," Sharon Costanza says of Chris Smith.
CBS News
Smith's parent says his betterment is thing abbreviated of a miracle.
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