Double Amputee Benefits from Power of Gratitude

When John Vrana pulled himself out of a piece of industrial equipment in September and realized both his legs were gone, his overwhelming desire was to live.

With a family he adored and a wife expecting twins, he wanted nothing more than to be there for them. His next emotion, and one that has driven his recovery, was gratitude.

“I am so grateful to be alive,” said Vrana. “I am grateful to have a chance to be with my family and to meet my new babies – this drives me every day.”

Making gratitude a regular practice is beneficial to a person’s health, said Jason Conover, a licensed clinical social worker at Utah Valley Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic. “A chemical change occurs in the brain by being grateful. Research using P.E.T. scans of the brain showed significant increase in the blood flow and activity in the frontal area of the brain after practicing gratitude for 30 days,” said Conover.

People who express gratitude also tend to take better care of themselves, according to Conover. It also helps people control stress levels, eat healthier, sleep better, and boost their immune systems. One way to start training yourself to be more grateful is to “notice the positives, the beautiful or the miraculous, and keep a gratitude journal,” he said.

Vrana has taken time to notice positives over the last two months and his gratitude has increased. “I wrote thank-you letters to the doctors, nurses and everyone who took care of me at Utah Valley Regional,” said Vrana. “The letters were full of my genuine thanks and some funny memories – I just needed them all to know that when I remembered my time with them, I was grateful.”

He has also started keeping a journal of his thoughts and memories, making weekly phone calls to connect with grandparents who are out of state and he sends grateful replies to the many friends and strangers who have reached out through email and letters. He feels these activities, along with the support of his wife, Ashley, have helped him stay optimistic.

“I’ve never failed at anything, I don’t have that gear. I’m not going to fail my wife and family, so I stay positive and get up every day – even when I have crappy thoughts in my head, I can find something to be grateful for,” he said.  

Conover believes gratitude, like what Vrana is feeling, is contagious. “As you start to notice the positives, different parts of the frontal cortex become more active, and it gets easier to see the good,” he added.

Vrana’s positive attitude is catching. During a recent appointment at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, he sat with another patient who was so inspired by his attitude she made baby blankets for his twins. “She was grateful to have met me and she said my optimism helped her,” said Vrana. “I’m grateful that my experience might help others.”