When one Texan hurts, we all hurt

BY BETHANY KILPATRICK

Managing Editor

While driving home for the holidays, Tarleton State University freshman Hank Newman was involved in a devastating accident that would require him to be medevaced to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Newman received a call from his dad on Dec. 14, 2025, asking if he wanted to go hunting. Newman shortly thereafter hit the road to travel back to his hometown of Cedar Park, Texas, to join his dad, when things took an unexpected turn. 

Newman suffered many injuries, including a severed MCL and snapped femur on his right leg, as well as a dislocated hip. On his left side, he also had a cracked femur and a compound fracture at his knee and in his shin. He also had snapped his fibula and tibia. 

If that was not enough, Newman had an artery severed in his foot, a torn tendon and a degloved heel and pinky toe.

“The first day I got there, they got me in surgery pretty quick, because my hip was dislocated,” Newman said. “You have a lot of blood vessels in your hip. The hip was losing circulation, and so they had to get the hip back in as quickly as possible. They did surgery to put a rod into my tibia and realign my fibula and shin.”

However, Newman was not done with his medical procedures quite yet.

“They sewed everything back up on that leg,” Newman said. “Then they waited to do surgery on my right leg the next day. That is when they sewed back together my MCL and put a rod in my femur.”

During his recovery in the hospital, just days before Christmas, Newman had no idea the number of familiar Texan faces he was about to see. 

Newman is a member of Phi Kappa Sigma as well as a member of the lacrosse team at Tarleton State University. His fraternity brothers, sorority friends, teammates and Tarleton President Dr. James Hurley all hurried to be with Newman, much to his surprise. 

“It was so crazy,” Newman said. “It was the second day I was in the hospital. This lady from management at Tarleton had called my mom from student support services. She told her that everything would be okay, and they had heard about the accident. They had said they would help me get everything switched over to online, and then hung up.”

That would not be the last time Newman and his family heard from his Tarleton family that day.

“Then about two hours later, they called back,” Newman said. “They said that Dr. Hurley was going to be in Fort Worth and wanted to come see me. My mom told me, and I thought she was joking. I did not think she was being serious.”

Newman’s mom was, in fact, quite serious. 

“My jaw dropped. I was like, ‘Oh, you are actually here,’” Newman said. “He sat there and talked to me for a while, and it was just such a blessing that he was able to come see me and show my family that love.”

Dr. Hurley posted a selfie with Newman and a photo of all Newman’s friends later on Instagram with the caption, “Thankful that our Texan @hankn_ (Hank Newman) is safely recovering from surgery today. I had the chance to visit with him and many other Texans were already there. It’s what makes our university so special - FAMILY. He will have a long road of recovery ahead, so your prayers and support would be greatly appreciated! #texanfamily”

Also making great efforts to be with Newman as soon as possible was his fraternity “Big”, Eddie Raybrun. Rayburn took the meaning of fraternity brother to a new level with the staff at Harris Methodist Hospital.

“Eddie was one of the first people in the ER with me whenever I landed,” Newman said. “He told the front desk lady that I was his half-brother so that he could get in there with me. One of the doctors came in and was like, ‘Hey, your brother is out here in the waiting room. Do you want to see him?’”

Confused but curious, Newman played along with it. 

“I was like, ‘Yeah,’...but I don’t have a brother…” Newman said. “Then he walked in, and I was like, ‘Oh, okay, makes sense, makes sense.’”

Layla Anderson is a sophomore at Tarleton, a member of Delta Zeta and a dear friend to Newman. As soon as she was informed of Newman’s accident, she rushed to be with him and his family as well. 

“I was the first person his sister called,” Anderson said. “She asked me where I was, and I had just driven past his accident without knowing it was him. My first thought was that I needed to get to him.”

Anderson made herself available to do anything she could to ease Newman’s family’s situation. 

“I was there every day just trying to make it easier on his family by running errands or just sitting and talking with friends and family,” Anderson said. “We were all so appreciative of Dr. Hurley coming to see him. That visit definitely boosted everyone’s spirits and made us realize how amazing Tarleton and its faculty truly are.”

Newman was truly blown away by the support he was shown from his Texan family in Fort Worth. 

“I had probably 20 to 30 people there at the hospital with me,” Newman said. “They were all waiting downstairs when Dr. Hurley got there, and I was greeted by an entourage.”

Anderson explains that their faith in God is what has gotten everyone through such a challenging time. 

“Going through his truck after the accident, it was a shock,” Anderson said. “In his backpack, he had a little Jesus figure and a Bible. We used that figure as a signal for hope and reminded all of us that God was with Hank in his accident.”

Newman recently had a check-up and was informed of what his road to recovery will entail.

“The doctor said it was going to be about two to four months before I could walk on my left leg,” Newman said. “That means for a lot of time I am going to be in a wheelchair. For right now, it is a lot of keeping my legs elevated. I am in a knee brace on my right leg and then a boot on my left leg, which is a lot of improvement since my surgery.”

Newman intends to be back on campus starting in the fall semester and is excited to be back with his community. He remains grateful for the support shown and that has continued to be given by his Tarleton family and community. 

“I just want to say thank you,” Newman said. “Just seeing all of the comments on Dr. Hurley’s post, especially, just saying that they are here for me and are praying for me, was just so heart-warming to see. It has helped me get through being in the hospital, because it sucks being in the hospital. It is even helping me get through my days now.”