How to Survive a Cranial Impalement: Jessiah Jackson Edition

(July 27) -- Jessiah Jackson, a 17-month-old boy who was impaled in the head by the metal hook of a pressure washer, is lucky to be alive.

Jessiah, who was airlifted to a North Carolina hospital 10 days ago after falling backward from his high chair onto the appliance, seemed otherwise unscathed in an appearance today on "Good Morning America."

But the "miracle boy" is still recovering from a delicate surgical procedure, where doctors removed the 2-inch pipe that had lodged itself at a 90-degree angle into the back of his skull.

And although Jessiah's story had a happy ending, others have not been so fortunate. Cranial impalements are not especially rare and can occur in myriad ways. Here, with lessons gleaned from the little survivor's plight and the experiences of others, Surge Desk presents a quick guide on how to survive a hook (or other intrusive object) to the head.

1. Surround yourself with fast-acting, risk-taking experts.

We're not saying Jessiah's family predicted a cranial impalement, but the kid certainly was surrounded by the necessary experts at the time of the incident.

Neighbor Lavern Nobles, a former firefighter, sawed through the metal pipe to free the child's body. Both Jessiah's aunt and uncle are trained EMTs. And his surgeon, Dr. Anand Germanwala, is a total bad-ass: He pulled the pipe from Jessiah's skull with his bare hands.

2. Avoid falling backward into hard, sharp objects.

The best way to survive a cranial impalement: Don't get one in the first place. Stories and reports abound of men, women and children who weren't as lucky as Jessiah and his fellow impalement survivors.

Jessiah, for one, was sitting in a high chair when he tumbled backward onto an appliance lined with metal piping. In 2008, another U.S boy survived self-impalement with a set of car keys. And this past May, a 21-year-old New York man fell off a balcony and met a spiked metal fence with his skull -- while inebriated.

The takeaway? As much as possible, place children at a strategic distance from potential skull penetrators, and avoid consuming alcohol on the balcony of a Gothic mansion.

3. But if you do, tumble strategically.

Yes, there is a "right way" to plummet skull-first onto something sharp. In all cases, the key seems to be: fall lightly.

Take Jessiah, for example. Had the tyke fallen any harder, the hook would have jammed itself farther into his head -- hitting a vital blood vessel and killing him instantly.

Or consider the case of the eyeball impalement. In one case, a toddler managed to impale himself with a (yes) deer antler. But the antler only penetrated a few inches and missed his eyeball and vascular structures.

Not so in the case of a 25-year-old schizophrenic, who shoved a ballpoint pen nearly six inches into his skull. He died.

4. Oh, and beggars can't be choosers.

OK, so you've got a foreign object lodged in your brain. Assuming you survive, what are the potential downsides? Permanent paralysis, cognitive impairment, confusion and headaches, and even -- as discussed in the case of a Chinese infant impaled with a chopstick -- risk of epilepsy.

But assuming you've been impaled by something banal -- keys, chopsticks, appliances, antlers -- just remember to count your blessings that it's not also a lethal explosive.

In March, doctors in body armor removed a 14.55 mm incendiary round from an Afghan National Army soldier. The impaler didn't explode, and the man emerged unscathed.