VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Just days after he was beaten and left for dead on the snowy slopes of Skamania County, Kevin Tracey said he was done being a victim.
In February, Tracey was cross-country skiing near Dugan Falls when he was attacked by two men who also his SUV and attempted to kill him, according to police.
The alleged attackers, Michael Collins and his son Teven, were later arrested in Mexico. The father and son were accused of beating, choking and leaving Tracey within an inch of his life, freezing and bleeding in the snow.? Three hikers later found Tracey and helped save his life.?
"You don't have a bad day after surviving a thing like that," said Tracey.
More than seven months later, only scars remain.
The scars on Tracey's face speak volumes, calling attention to the brutality he was subjected to and how he has survived it. But not for long.
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Those scars will soon be silenced by three surgeons at Southwest Washington Medical Center.
Tracey said he can't wait to have the scars minimized.
"It's going to mean a lot to me, just to be able to look in the mirror and not have to be reminded every time," he said.
The surgeons are operating on Tracey free of charge Friday. Dr. Brinda Thimmappa called it a privilege to work on someone so "amazing."
"You want every patient to be like that ? you just want to wake up and be that person," the plastic surgeon said of Tracey and the courage with which he'd endured. "There are not a lot of people who you feel that way about, so we feel quite lucky."
Tracey said he feels lucky, too.
"Inside I'm not suffering; I'm not grieving; I'm not sad," he said.? "I'm just very happy about everything that happened."
Tracey recalled the day he could once again pick up a guitar, though he can now only play with three fingers.
He also recalled how his community rallied to raise money for his recovery, a gesture that raised his spirits.
Tracey remembers those who tipped off "America's Most Wanted," leading investigators to Mexico and his alleged attackers, who are now behind bars.
He'll always harbor those memories inside. But thanks to Dr. Thimmappa and her colleagues, Tracey won't have to relive them every time he looks in the mirror.
