Mechanic and Guitarist's Hands Reattached After Work Accident

by Ann Pierret | 05/31/2013 | 3:45pm

Mechanic and Guitarist's Hands Reattached After Work Accident

Musician on the road to recovery after an accident that almost left him without hands.

Staten Island native, Kenneth Klapak, has been a guitarist since he was seven. And, he makes a living as a sheet metal mechanic on Long Island. But, this hands on guy won't be able to do either for awhile. He nearly lost both of his hands in an accident at work in early May.

In what Klapak describes as horrifying pain, he was transported from a factory in North Babylon to Stony Brook University Hospital. A team of four doctors would spend the next 8 hours re-attaching Klapak's hands, which were dangling by a few tendons.
 
He'll spend the next year and a half to two years in recovery. But, Klapak has a positive attitude. He says, "My wonderful wife is here at my side, and from feeding to bathroom - my wife - I need her for everything. It brings a tear to my eye just to talk to her and I just thank my God for her."
 
With both hands in splints and the ability to only move his fingers, Klapak won't be picking up his guitar for a while. But the thought of it, motivates him. "As soon as I know that I can, I will. It's a true, true labor of love. And, I really enjoy playing. And, I really cannot wait to get back to it," he says.
 
Klapak played guitar for a rockabilly band in the 80s and now plays for a church and recreationally.

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