[Extinctionjet]

Jeremy Evans, a 32-year-old Calgary outdoorsman, was mauled by a sow grizzly near Panther River in the Alberta Rockies on August 24, 2017. Evans said he was scouting for bighorn sheep when he saw a cub. The sow charged from less than 100 feet away as he reached for his bear spray.

Evans suffered extensive scalp and facial degloving. His left eye was forced from its socket, his right eye was pushed inward, an ear was torn off and part of his skull was exposed. Tendons in his legs were severed, and his hands were badly injured as he fought back. After the bear left, he reached his pack and took a photograph of his face. He survived and spent five weeks in a Calgary hospital, where he underwent skin grafts and facial reconstruction. In 2022, Evans and Crosbie Cotton published "Mauled: Lessons Learned from a Grizzly Bear Attack."

[kellyhound]

Three years after the bear attack, this picture tells a story of resilience. The physical scars have faded, but the emotional wounds ran far deeper than I ever imagined.

At the time, I couldn’t recognize the man staring back at me. I was hurting, lost, and drowning in depression.

I didn’t know I needed help. I was pushing away the people I loved, wishing my story had ended on that mountainside.

But looking at this picture now, I see more than just pain—I see hope.

I see a man who, despite everything, stood tall and refused to give up. A man who reached out for help, even when it felt impossible. That moment of courage became the catalyst for my transformation.

This courage is the reason I’m able to share some of the most emotional parts of my story today. Yes, it’s hard to admit that I was lost, broken, and in need of help.

But as I share my emotional journey, I’m met with an overwhelming response from those inspired by my words—and that keeps me going.

Life will throw hard times your way. When it feels impossible, remember this: you are not alone. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.

Find your rock, your source of motivation, and hold on to it. Things do get better.

The scars will fade. Your strength will grow. And one day, the person staring back at you will be someone you can be proud of.

Keep going. You can BEAR It, even when you think you can't

[marcos_69]

"It's hard to play dead when something's chewing on you".

No truer words ever spoken.

[Mr.NoCredit]

Yes indeed the surgeons did a wonderful job on him.

[Yakisoba]

He’s lucky to be alive, he can get further cosmetic surgery and laser treatments to look even better, but they did do a pretty good job piecing his face back together. If that happened to me, I would rather be left in the woods to die and feed the bears.

[gringo1965]

TO : KELLY -------- Phenomenal

[mr_feelgood]

Yogi bear did it for the pickanick baskets

[CatBatMan]

Yarp!