Fifteen years ago, Zach Sherman’s life changed forever. Riding along the highway near Harrisburg, Penn., Zach and a friend picked up speed when his motorcycle began to wobble. In an instant, it flipped, throwing Zach the length of two football fields. His bike traveled even farther before skidding to a stop.

Zach’s injuries were catastrophic — he lost both legs and his right arm at the scene, his pelvis was shattered and his abdomen torn open.

Bystanders rushed to help, using belts and cellphone cords as makeshift tourniquets. By luck, an ambulance was nearby getting gas, and within minutes Zach was on his way to Hershey Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center.

Doctors were stunned to find him alive — and even conscious. He endured back-to-back 12-hour surgeries, followed by months of daily wound cleanings, skin grafts and reconstructive procedures. Zach, who now lives in Boise, spent nearly 19 weeks in surgical intensive care, and more than six months in the hospital. For years after, surgeries remained a regular part of his life.

Through it all, a key to his survival was the blood he received along the way. He doesn’t know the exact number of transfusions, but he believes one thing for certain -- without blood donors, things would have turned out differently.

“I don’t know that if it would have happened a million more times, I would have survived even once,” he said. “It was one in a billion dumb luck.

“But without blood being there when I needed it, I absolutely would not be here.”

Surviving the accident was just the beginning. Zach had to relearn nearly every part of daily life. Once right-handed, he learned to do everything with his left. He faced years of physical rehabilitation, pain and setbacks. But he also found strength, stubbornness and eventually a sense of purpose.

“I woke up from a coma and was presented with this new reality,” he said. “I thought I’d just get prosthetic legs and be back walking in no time. I didn’t really understand how much commitment and work it would take. But I was too stubborn to let it get the best of me.”

Sports became an outlet. Through the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Zach returned to snowboarding — a passion he thought he’d lost forever. He also joined adaptive programs for sled hockey, even serving on the board of a local nonprofit in Idaho to help others with disabilities rediscover movement and community.

Zach now volunteers with amputee support groups, mentoring others who are newly facing life with limb loss. He spends time encouraging kids at camps, helping them see that their lives are still full of possibility.

For Zach, survival was the result of many things: quick-thinking friends, skilled doctors, sheer luck, and the generosity of blood donors he’ll never meet.

“Every time I hear about someone else not surviving a crash like mine, I’m reminded of how fortunate I am,” he said.

Though Zach can’t donate blood himself because of his type 1 diabetes, he urges others to step up.

“You can make an impact and change somebody’s life just in the smaller gestures — whether it’s complimenting someone on the walk down street or giving blood,” he said. “Every instance of grace we give allows for the world to be a little bit of a better place.”

GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE

Only about 3 percent of people in the U.S. donate blood each year. Yet every two seconds, someone needs it — accident victims, cancer patients, mothers during childbirth and countless others. Be the reason someone gets a second chance. Donate blood today. Visit RedCrossBlood.org to find a blood drive near you and schedule an appointment.