L.A. dad saves toddler in crash but loses his foot. ‘There’s no room for feeling bad’

Jordan Stannard may not understand how he made it through the crash that claimed his left foot, but there’s one thing of which he is certain. As an active dad…

Jordan Stannard may not understand how he made it through the crash that claimed his left foot, but there’s one thing of which he is certain.

As an active dad of two daughters — a toddler and a newborn — there’s no time for negativity.

“I have a responsibility to my daughters to be the best dad that I can be. I never want them to say ‘Dad got in an accident and he was never the same. Dad got hurt and he’s been angry ever since,’” he said. “There’s no room for feeling bad for myself or being angry.”

Two weeks ago, Stannard’s life changed in an instant. He was loading his 2-year-old daughter, Sadie, into the family’s Tesla after a play date and trip to the grocery store in Venice. His wife was on the other side of the car preparing to put the couple’s newborn, Shae, inside.

That’s when Stannard heard the initial crash.

A GMC truck slammed into a Mercedes SUV that was waiting for a parking spot along Venice Boulevard and then came barreling toward Stannard and Sadie.

“You can kind of feel it vibrate when it’s that close to you,” the Los Angeles native said of the impact. “When that happened, I just thought, ‘Get Sadie in the car, just get her in the car.’ I specifically remember what it looked like — the truck coming at me. I blinked, and then I felt the impact of the truck hitting me.”

Stannard remembers lying on the pavement and looking up at the blue sky, not yet feeling any pain, and realizing that he’d actually been hit. His left foot was in bad shape, but he was alive and his daughter, who he was able to get into the car before the impact, was uninjured. The panicked screams of his wife filled his ears.

That’s when the first in a series of helpers rushed to his aid. He credits the nurse and the off-duty lifeguard who applied a makeshift tourniquet to his leg and the firefighter who talked him through his pain on the way to the hospital with helping to save his life.

Doctors ultimately had to amputate his left foot and ankle. Stannard is now at a rehab facility working on his mobility and continuing to heal so he can be fitted for a prosthetic in the next few months, he said.

A GoFundMeset up to raise money for Stannard’s medical expenses had netted more than $100,000 as of Monday night.

Since the crash, he said, his hospital room has been filled with people — and giant bouquets of flowers — supporting him in his recovery. He even transformed his hospital room into a World Cup viewing space during a recent USA match for a group of friends thanks to a projector from his wife and the creative use of medical supplies for a makeshift screen.

The irony that he’s finding some joy watching athletes kicking a ball with two feet isn’t lost on him, he said, adding, “You have to find a way to laugh.”

“This outpouring of support has been absolutely the most beautiful thing about this entire situation,” he said. “It’s truly healing when people come and show you love like that. It’s made me feel better.”

The athlete who enjoys biking with friends, taking his daughters to the beach, doing cross-fit and running marathons is determined not to let his injury slow him down. His ultimate goal is to run the L.A. Marathon next year.

But first, he just wants to get home to his wife and daughters.

“I have so much to look forward to.”

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