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“God Saved My Life”: A Cowboy Once Overcame Near-Fatal Skull and Brain Injury From a Riding Accident, to Star in Hollywood

Published 03/31/2023, 3:00 PM EDT

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It’s an extraordinary feat to get through to Hollywood and live your own starry dream. Although for this Dakota Sioux cowboy, the leap to the industry didn’t come from a very positive experience. Brady Jandreau’s gruesome injury resulted in him starring in a Hollywood movie, by none other than Academy Award winning director, Chloe Zhao. The Rider was released in 2018, 2 years prior to Zhao winning the distinguished award, and featured the way of life of a native American cowboy. In fact, Zhao explicitly elaborated on the struggles that Jandreau had to face in his life due to a horrific accident, after being thrown away by his bronco.

However, while giving an interview, the equestrian described that it was a horrific injury, and he broke parts of his skull. Moreover, a practicing Christian, Jandreau shared if it was not for the grace of the almighty, he wouldn’t have survived.

Equestrian survived an injury and shot to fame in Hollywood

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Brady Jandreau is a young Dakota Sioux rodeo star who met the director sometime after his accident. After knowing his story, Zhao wanted to portray him in her next movie. But what exactly happened to the Jandreau? He was riding one day, when his mount decided to get rid of him. It didn’t only throw him off, the horse also stomped into his skull, resulting in a 3¼ inch break, that was 1¼ inch wide.

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Even though he could get to the doctors by himself, Jandreau suffered a severe convulsion later. In fact, his internal bleeding only got worse, inducing him into a coma. The rider had to undergo brain surgery to remove the manure and other particles from the wound. When asked about what caused his speedy recovery, the native American revealed his faith. He told Decent Films, “God saved my life. I definitely would not be here if it weren’t for a lot of prayer — all those prayers. This is something that I know; it’s not something I believe. It’s something that is.”

“They Just Saved My Life That Day”: 25-Year-Old Equestrian Miraculously Overcame a Horrifying Brain Injury Once

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He certainly felt fortunate to gain his life. In fact, Zhao presented the same, and the film became a story of ailment and suffering, but also of life going on.

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Written by:

Soumili Chatterjee

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Soumili Chatterjee is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She secured her bachelor’s and master's degree in English literature from the University of Calcutta. After being a technical and blog writer for nearly three years, it was her ardent love for sports that steered her career toward the sports industry.
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Edited by:

Anupama Ghosh