OKLAHOMA CITY -- A group of doctors on the East Coast is ready to perform a rare nerve transplant surgery on a 19-year-old man from Norman -- but a $150,000 medical bill will be waiting for him and his family.

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Norman Man To Get Rare Nerve Transplant After Tragic Accident

When he was 16, Joseph Christian knew he wanted to serve his country. He found his calling at a military academy, and he finished basic training by the age of 19.

Christian was on his way to Army Ranger School to start a lifetime in the military. But on June 5, 2004, a tragic accident changed everything.

Two weeks away from starting the journey toward his dream, Christian fell off a pontoon boat on Lake Eufaula and was seriously injured by a propeller that tore through his arm, chest and face.

Christian's physician, Dr. J.D. Parkhurst, said he didn't think his patient would be able to use right arm again -- assuming that he survived.

"The propeller cut Joe here, all the way (across his body)," Parkhurst said. "It left just a little muscle and skin."

Christian's mother, Linda Clark, said she wasn't convinced that her son would live to see his dream come true.

"His dreams were so big of what he wanted to do," Clark said. "We knew instantly that that was probably over. They said, 'We don't know if he'll make it.'"

After Christian was stabilized, Clark said, doctors said he would probably lose his right arm. But Christian told doctors he wanted to keep it.

"I'd heard a few days before a rumor that he lost his arm," Parkhurst said. "When he walked in the door with his mom, there he was -- alive -- and his arm was there. I feel like God's hand was in this whole thing."

Two of Christian's left fingers now have feeling, but his right arm and hand have none. In May, he'll get a rare nerve transplant, but his family is still looking for ways to fund the expensive operation.

At the time of the accident, Christian had not accumulated enough active duty days in the Army National Guard to qualify for medical insurance. The National Foundation of Transplants is helping Christian's family to raise the $150,000 needed for the operation, and the organization is seeking help.

Those who would like to contribute can find more information by clicking here. Donations are tax-deductible.

After the surgery, Christian wants to go back to his old military school and pass on his dream to other cadets. He said he won't give up his goal of serving the military -- even if he does so in a way that he didn't originally intend.

"It's my hope to give inspiration to the uninspired," Christian said. "There's not a whole lot you can't do unless you just quit."