After boating accident, teen taking things a step at a time

Chandler Balkman takes a few steps with his new prosthetic and loses his balance.

But the stumble is quick. As Balkman centers himself, he walks back to the couch with ease, tallying another victory.

"I did that without crutches," he said.

Amputees usually need about three to six months before they walk on a prosthetic without support, doctors say. Balkman did it after the first week.

"I've learned that doctors' time estimates can be beaten," he said.

That attitude has accelerated the high-school athlete's recovery after a boating accident this summer nearly killed him. Balkman, 16, was featured in a Seattle Times story in August as he drifted in and out of consciousness at Harborview Medical Center.

Balkman had been swimming with his father in Lake Sammamish when his older sister, Jessica, accidentally ran over him with the family boat. It was too dark for her to see, and the propeller sliced through his pelvis, hitting an artery.

The Issaquah High School junior has now returned to school part time. He's undergoing intensive physical therapy to perfect his gait with the prosthetic. And he's got his sights set on becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

"The doctors said 'Don't expect him out of the hospital until Christmas,' " said his mother, Susan Balkman. "He was home in 10 weeks."

There are transitions to make. Balkman lost a massive amount of blood after he was hit, and the lack of oxygen to his brain affected his concentration and memory, he said. So school has been challenging.

"I feel like most people feel when they come back in September," he said. "I'll sometimes forget things that I didn't used to before."

His schoolmates — and the community — are thrilled to have him back. When he was discharged on Oct. 12 from Harborview, his friends organized a surprise welcome-home parade of about 200 friends and neighbors.

That same month, he was also nominated as Homecoming prince of his junior class. He received a standing ovation when the princes' names were read during a school assembly.

"That was just ... awesome," he said.

Between physical-therapy sessions and homework, the sports enthusiast — who has been skiing since he was 2 ½ — said he's determined to hit the slopes again.

"Skiing will be my speed outlet," he said. "I'll ski as soon as I can."

There's another sport he's anxious to try again — swimming. He's been in the pool a few times since the accident, learning to find balance and velocity with one leg.

A wall of windows inside the Balkmans' home looks onto Lake Sammamish. Every day, the family sees the place that changed their lives forever.

But Balkman couldn't love the view more.

"I can't wait to go swimming in it again," he said.

Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com