Bobby “Caleb” Brooks, a sheriff’s investigator from Morgan County, Alabama, experienced a life-altering incident on August 16, 2020. Raised in the rural outskirts of Huntsville, Caleb had always been adept at handling animals, particularly in the art of breaking horses. His resilience and energy as a young boy translated into his adult life, maintaining a hands-on approach with the animals on his property, including a two-year-old bull named Cash.
The event that changed everything occurred while Caleb, along with his pregnant wife Madeline, was tending to their farm duties. As Caleb rolled out a fresh bale of hay, Cash suddenly charged at him, slamming into his midsection and pushing him off his feet. The bull’s violent attack threw Caleb into a tree, leaving him severely injured. Despite managing to scare the bull away and make it to safety, Caleb’s condition was critical.
Medical responders quickly realized Caleb was suffering from internal bleeding. At a Huntsville hospital, surgeons discovered extensive damage to his intestines, necessitating the removal of most of his small intestine and part of his large intestine. Caleb’s survival hinged on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), as his damaged intestines could no longer process food. With local doctors unsure of the next steps, Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation stepped in, offering a glimmer of hope as one of the few U.S. centers capable of performing the necessary intestinal transplant surgery to save his life.
