Vancouver teacher is left brain damaged, paralyzed and unable to talk after routine surgical procedure went horribly wrong

A teacher was left paralyzed and unable to talk after he suffered brain damage during a routine surgical procedure which went horribly wrong. 

Scott Munro was undergoing orthopedic shoulder surgery on September 18, 2023 when his oxygen levels became dangerously low. 

His family claims he was left unchecked for four minutes before he suffered major brain damage and was left in a coma. 

He had to spend a month in the intensive care unit and has had to learn to walk and talk again with lots of intense physical therapy. 

Munro, who has spent nearly 30 years working within the Evergreen School District in Washington, returned to Oregon on Tuesday after eight months away recovering. 

Munro received a special welcome at Portland International Airport from friends and family as he prepares to continue his rehabilitation following the shocking incident.

He spent time in intensive care in Chicago and Omaha, Nebraska, where he has had to learn to walk and talk again. 

'It's very emotional, and it also feels right, feels like we've come full circle from Vancouver, to Portland, to Chicago, to Omaha — and now, we're finally back,' his wife Katrina Munro told KGW8. 

He is glad to be back home and said it is 'because of all these people, more than anything else.'

'Family and friends — being able to see them in person, being able to see my dad.'

Munro will be placed in an assisted living facility for now while his family home is modified to accommodate for his needs. 

He said: 'It's going pretty well, considering where I started after the injury — which yeah, I was barely conscious for about two months.' 

Katrina has looked back on what went wrong with her husband's surgery and wants to find out what happened. 

'I think it's important to share that we know something went wrong in the O.R. that day. Someone or some machine, maybe more than one person, maybe more than one machine, was not doing its job,' she said. 

Munro's daughter Katherine has juggled her studies with visiting her dad in hospital.

She described him as loving, inspiration and hardworking as she looked back on old photos. 

'I love going on trips with my parents. My dad was always the planner,' she said. 

The family set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for medical expenses, travel expenses, transportation costs and remodeling their home to fit his needs. 

They have so far raised more than $98,000 out of a $400,000 goal and are overwhelmed at the outpouring of support. 

'You know, we've been overwhelmed by the amount of support we've received from coworkers and others,' Munro said. 

While Katherine said: 'My dad has said it before, and I'll say it, too — just that we didn't really realize how many people we had in our corner until something like this happens.'