Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,158
- Reaction score
- 7
Severely beaten bartender showered with kindness | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Breaking News for Dallas-Fort Worth | Dallas Morning News
Jim Arnold is no fighting man. But a bar brawl left the friendly bartender fighting for his life. The Christmas Eve attack at a Lower Greenville Avenue bar was so brutal that the 38-year-old had to be placed in a medically induced coma.
Doctors told his family and friends that he probably wouldn't survive.
So imagine the joy they felt on Valentine's Day, when Arnold left the hospital.
But the beating came at a severe cost.
Doctors had to remove part of Arnold's skull. The force of the assault cracked his teeth. He lost his hearing in one ear and most of it in the other.
But Arnold remains relentlessly optimistic about his future.
He says the incident has changed his life – for the better. And he's thankful for his friends, who organized a benefit for him last month.
"I truly didn't realize how special this life is and how truly lucky I am to be loved by so many people," he wrote in an e-mail to The Dallas Morning News.
Arnold was at the Billiard Bar celebrating a friend's birthday.
It's not clear what sparked the fight. Arnold has told family and friends he doesn't remember anything about it.
Arnold was hit in the head with an unknown object, fracturing his skull, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. A doctor who treated Arnold said he was possibly kicked, based on his extensive injuries.
Witnesses at the bar told police that they heard the fight but didn't see the attack.
A suspect, Allen Little, was arrested in February on a charge of aggravated assault. He could not be reached for comment last week.
Little, 39, was released from the Lew Sterrett Justice Center after posting $15,000 bail.
Phone numbers listed under his name were disconnected, and a message left with a family member wasn't returned.
Friends and family say that Arnold didn't start the fight.
"He's never a fighter, he's a comedian," said his sister, April Nixon. "He's a bartender by trade. He tries to avoid things and tries to break things up."
A chance to help
When one of Arnold's friends, Colleen Morgan, saw him in a coma in the hospital, she told herself:
"I've got to do something."
Morgan helped organize a benefit in February at Poor David's Pub to help Arnold pay expenses. He worked at the South Lamar Street club as a bartender before the attack.
"I thought we'd be raising money for a funeral," Morgan said. "We're very happy it didn't turn out that way.
"It's a miracle, and I don't even believe in those things."
The response to the benefit was overwhelming, she said.
Some musicians had never heard of Arnold but felt compelled to participate. People donated a guitar, leather jacket, pieces of art and concert tickets. The benefit raised about $3,000.
Organizers were hoping Arnold would show up.
He did.
When he arrived, applause filled the room. He was using a walker but smiling broadly.
"The real benefit and the reward was the look on Jim's face when he saw all the people who cared for him," said David Card, owner of Poor David's Pub. "That was much more than the money we raised."
As Arnold thanked the crowd, Morgan stood nearby. She felt overwhelmed.
"I love the dude and I was just very happy that he made it," Morgan said. "He is going to be OK."
Lots of support
Arnold says he appreciates the outpouring of support during his recovery. He plans on spending his life "showing every person how much I appreciate their love."
While Arnold's family was scared of losing him, they were touched that so many of his friends visited him in the hospital and shared memories.
"It's really stressful, but it's kind of uplifting to see how many people's lives he's touched and, in turn, want to give back to him," Nixon said.
Arnold may be out of the hospital, but his medical bills are mounting into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, his sister said. He doesn't have health insurance.
These days, Arnold is spending time in rehabilitation. He hopes to get a cochlear implant – for now, he has to write notes to communicate with others.
But Arnold said he doesn't have hate in his heart. Instead, the attack has inspired him to help others.
Arnold had been studying to be a medical technician. Shortly before the attack, he told his sister that he was thinking about becoming a nurse.
Now he's hoping to work with deaf patients. He'd also like to share his story with teens who might be susceptible to joining gangs.
"He's just so amazing and upbeat," Nixon said. "He told me God saved him for a reason, and maybe he's deaf for a reason."
Arnold says the attack has taught him not to take anything in life for granted.
"When I woke up from my coma, I didn't cry," he said. "When I tried to get up from bed and fell down, I didn't cry. When I found out I was deaf, I did not cry.
"I do not feel sorry for the way I am, and I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for me, because those guys did not hurt me.
"They made me stronger."
Jim Arnold is no fighting man. But a bar brawl left the friendly bartender fighting for his life. The Christmas Eve attack at a Lower Greenville Avenue bar was so brutal that the 38-year-old had to be placed in a medically induced coma.
Doctors told his family and friends that he probably wouldn't survive.
So imagine the joy they felt on Valentine's Day, when Arnold left the hospital.
But the beating came at a severe cost.
Doctors had to remove part of Arnold's skull. The force of the assault cracked his teeth. He lost his hearing in one ear and most of it in the other.
But Arnold remains relentlessly optimistic about his future.
He says the incident has changed his life – for the better. And he's thankful for his friends, who organized a benefit for him last month.
"I truly didn't realize how special this life is and how truly lucky I am to be loved by so many people," he wrote in an e-mail to The Dallas Morning News.
Arnold was at the Billiard Bar celebrating a friend's birthday.
It's not clear what sparked the fight. Arnold has told family and friends he doesn't remember anything about it.
Arnold was hit in the head with an unknown object, fracturing his skull, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. A doctor who treated Arnold said he was possibly kicked, based on his extensive injuries.
Witnesses at the bar told police that they heard the fight but didn't see the attack.
A suspect, Allen Little, was arrested in February on a charge of aggravated assault. He could not be reached for comment last week.
Little, 39, was released from the Lew Sterrett Justice Center after posting $15,000 bail.
Phone numbers listed under his name were disconnected, and a message left with a family member wasn't returned.
Friends and family say that Arnold didn't start the fight.
"He's never a fighter, he's a comedian," said his sister, April Nixon. "He's a bartender by trade. He tries to avoid things and tries to break things up."
A chance to help
When one of Arnold's friends, Colleen Morgan, saw him in a coma in the hospital, she told herself:
"I've got to do something."
Morgan helped organize a benefit in February at Poor David's Pub to help Arnold pay expenses. He worked at the South Lamar Street club as a bartender before the attack.
"I thought we'd be raising money for a funeral," Morgan said. "We're very happy it didn't turn out that way.
"It's a miracle, and I don't even believe in those things."
The response to the benefit was overwhelming, she said.
Some musicians had never heard of Arnold but felt compelled to participate. People donated a guitar, leather jacket, pieces of art and concert tickets. The benefit raised about $3,000.
Organizers were hoping Arnold would show up.
He did.
When he arrived, applause filled the room. He was using a walker but smiling broadly.
"The real benefit and the reward was the look on Jim's face when he saw all the people who cared for him," said David Card, owner of Poor David's Pub. "That was much more than the money we raised."
As Arnold thanked the crowd, Morgan stood nearby. She felt overwhelmed.
"I love the dude and I was just very happy that he made it," Morgan said. "He is going to be OK."
Lots of support
Arnold says he appreciates the outpouring of support during his recovery. He plans on spending his life "showing every person how much I appreciate their love."
While Arnold's family was scared of losing him, they were touched that so many of his friends visited him in the hospital and shared memories.
"It's really stressful, but it's kind of uplifting to see how many people's lives he's touched and, in turn, want to give back to him," Nixon said.
Arnold may be out of the hospital, but his medical bills are mounting into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, his sister said. He doesn't have health insurance.
These days, Arnold is spending time in rehabilitation. He hopes to get a cochlear implant – for now, he has to write notes to communicate with others.
But Arnold said he doesn't have hate in his heart. Instead, the attack has inspired him to help others.
Arnold had been studying to be a medical technician. Shortly before the attack, he told his sister that he was thinking about becoming a nurse.
Now he's hoping to work with deaf patients. He'd also like to share his story with teens who might be susceptible to joining gangs.
"He's just so amazing and upbeat," Nixon said. "He told me God saved him for a reason, and maybe he's deaf for a reason."
Arnold says the attack has taught him not to take anything in life for granted.
"When I woke up from my coma, I didn't cry," he said. "When I tried to get up from bed and fell down, I didn't cry. When I found out I was deaf, I did not cry.
"I do not feel sorry for the way I am, and I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for me, because those guys did not hurt me.
"They made me stronger."
