A Teen’s Life is Changed
The Gift of Moving Legs
Just like that, in a split second of time, the life of a teen athlete is completely changed, perhaps permanently and forever. Just visualizing that statement and reading it again gives me shivers.
As the New Year 2012 barely got underway and as most of us launched forward with the promise of bright and new beginnings, a high school classmate of my son Austin was seriously injured during a school wrestling match. Only 2 days back into school, the young man, a junior known as Hugo sustained a cervical neck injury requiring him to be transferred to a trauma center and undergo surgery.
From the time of his injury, and still, he is reportedly not able to move his legs and has diminished movement of his arms. Of course, he remains in the hospital over one week later. Few details beyond that are actually known at this time but with my nursing background in neurosurgical and trauma critical care, I fully realize what this young man and his family are up against. I have been a nurse for 30 years and this type of thing still takes my breath away.
Immediately, the high school student body, faculty, administration and community begin to rally in support of Hugo. The wrestling team and coach pulled together and forged on in a county wide tournament with Hugo in their hearts and minds – they won it for him. Cheerleaders, school mates and fellow athletes began efforts to honor Hugo and to raise money for his family and to assist with medical expenses. T-shirts with his picture and one of his favorite sayings to his wrestling coach, “I’ve got this coach”, were printed and are being sold. Students and faculty have trekked to the hospital 2 hours away to visit him. The great and powerful human spirit has risen to the occasion to love, support and stand by this young man, whose life may never be the same.
Even as a seasoned nurse and mom, I haven’t been able to shake the image of this teenager lying in a hospital bed, unable to move, completely at the mercy and care-taking of those around him, probably scared out of his mind, confused, perhaps in pain and wondering when and if he will be able to walk again. My son Austin has been a wrestler, he has played football, basketball and continues to play soccer. He is strong and full throttle in all that he does.
He just about drives me crazy sometimes because of his tenacity, strong will, aggressiveness and maneuvers, but just now I am grateful that he is up on two feet, running around, kicking a soccer ball, hopping in and out of cars with friends, running up and down the stairway, in and out of the door (without closing it!) – that he can turn himself over in bed at night, feed himself his own food, carry a backpack on his back, open the refrigerator door, take a shower, brush his teeth…… I am profoundly moved to think that this boy Hugo may not be able to do those simple wonderful things again.
To say that life can be unfair is too simple in a situation like this - can anyone explain why something so fluke and devastating can happen?
Hi Paula, My heart is so broken for Hugo. There seems to be no explanation for how something like this so tragic can happen to a young person. It just seems as if it was just like you said “a fluke” and yes a very devastating fluke. I can not help but to think about Hugo and his family everyday praying and hoping for his recovery.