FOX 2 - "I can't believe it’s gone, I wish it was a dream."
Instead, it is a tough reality for Nathaniel Sasser.
The 27-year-old father lost his leg after being the victim of a hit and run crash on his street bike, a Kawasaki Ninja, off Gratiot on Detroit's east side in June.
"I sat and watched my foot die for a whole day, my leg died in front of me," he said. "It turned black and curled up."
Surveillance video shows a white Lincoln about to turn left into a gas station. That driver pulls into Sasser, who had the right of way on Gratiot.
"I could have sworn we connected eyes," he said. "So I thought for sure he saw him."
But he didn't, and the driver in that white Lincoln sped off.
"Still to this day he doesn't know if I've survived or not," Sasser said.
He said he remembers a rush of people coming to his side shielding view of his mangled leg.
Doctors tried to reattach it - but could not. Now - he is navigating recovery with Medicaid, dealing with the expenses on top of the pain.
"Like if I have an itch or a burning sensation in my toes and I have no toes," Sasser said.
Nathaniel's nurse with at-home again, services reached out to FOX 2 to share his story, and maybe help ease the financial burden too.
"Getting something to eat or drink is a challenge," he said. "Getting through the doorway is a challenge
He is a candidate for a prosthetic eventually, but he still has kids to take care of, which is the most crushing part of all this.
"They do everything they can to help," he said. "I feel like they do too much. I try to be independent."
Police are still looking for the driver of that white Lincoln, an older model with a black top. It could still have front-end damage from hitting Nathaniel's bike - if you know anything about who did this, report it Detroit police.
If you would like to help Nathaniel, there is a GoFundMe set up HERE.