It's a task most hospitals have to do from time to time, but few have the campaigner this hospital has.

Today marks the five-year anniversary of a tragic car accident on I-70, but what one Missourian has done with his life in those five years, takes a tragic accident and turns it into a life story that changed the direction of his life for the better. Mike Nolte never saw what was coming.

"I got up on the morning of May 22, 2003, kissed my wife goodbye at 6 o'clock in the morning and said I'll be back by 3 o'clock this afternoon," said Nolte.

Mike Nolte, a wedding planner, husband, father of three, kissed his wife goodbye, got in his car, and began driving eastbound from Kansas City to Mexico, Missouri.

"I was pulled over for driving too long in the left lane. And a young trooper asked me to get out of my car and to join him in his, and it was a ford crown victoria,"explained Nolte.

On May 22, 2003, Mike Nolte never dreamed that his drive down I-70 would steer the course of his life in a completely different direction.

"We were rear-ended by a driver who was reaching for his sunglasses on the floor at the time. Trooper Newton had just filled up his car 20 minutes earlier with 19 gallons of gasoline. The car exploded immediately. The time from impact to being fully engulfed in fire was 1.8 seconds.The temperature inside the car was, quickly accelerated to, 2,500 degrees in 3 seconds. When people ask how hot is 2,500 degrees, I can make the analogy for them that if you think about our ovens at home we can broil a steak at 500 degrees and the steel beams of the World Trade Center started to bend at 2,000 degrees," explained Nolte.

Missouri Highway patrolman, Michael Newton, lost his life that day. And Mike Nolte was 15 seconds from losing his.

"And in that 15 seconds I just became very blessed that two strangers driving down the highway not together, and did not know one another, jumped out of there cars and joined 75 people that were standing there watching the car burn, but they risk their life to save mine. They reached inside of a burning car with no fire protective clothing on and pulled me unconscious and dead weight and on fire out through the window and layed me in the grass,"said Nolte.

Those two men, David Bryan and Troy Brinkoetter, were reunited with Nolte on a CBS news special.Every single birthday, every single Christmas, they will always hear from Michael Nolte.

After the accident, emergency crews air-lifted Nolte to University Hospital. Nolte had burns on 40 percent of his body. His legs and feet were the worst, so learning to walk again was extremely difficult and painful. After two and a half months, Mike still had his legs and he also had a mission.

Nolte began traveling and speaking all across the nation. He recently spoke to the nursing school at MU.

"For all his bad burns, all the injuries that he had, he comes across a stronger person for it, very encouraging to anyone else out there,"said burn unit nurse, David Kubiak.

After Nolte's life changed, he felt compelled to write about his experiences. Nolte completed his book, Burned But not Broken, after only 9 days.

Today, Nolte is still very much involved with the burn unit, visiting patients and encouraging those who are injured. Nolte is currently helping promote funds and awareness for the University's Burn unit.

"We're trying to raise money for things that helped save Mike. When I say that, I mean for our nurses, surgeons, technicians, our staff, the equipment, technology, the research, there's a lot that goes into it," stated school of medicine development officer, Jason Roland.

"I am a burn survivor. Now I am able to say I was burned as opposed to I am burned, and that in itself was a very important transition, a healthy transition. And I'll talk about it, and if I can touch their heart, in a way that is real and authentic, and that encourages them to give back or to pay it forward, I'd love to see that funding come back into this burn unit," said Nolte.

Mike Nolte has come full circle, but his story continues to touch the lives of many. For more information on Mike Nolte's story or to learn how you can contribute to the University Hospital's burn unit, click on the links included. 

Nolte's book is on sale around the area at major bookstores.