ST PAUL, Minn. — Just over a week after he was rushed to the hospital, unable to move his arms and legs, a Holy Angels hockey player is up and walking — with help — and looking forward to going home soon.
Mason Garcia was injured Nov. 18 when he went into the boards and hit his head during a preseason scrimmage in Lakeville. He was rushed to Regions Hospital and despite his inability to move, tests showed no damage to Mason's spinal cord.
In a post on his Caring Bridge site Sunday, Garcia's family said his official diagnosis is a traumatic brain injury and that the first few days in the hospital were spent asking questions and trying to figure out why he couldn't move.
"The brain is amazing and complex, and even though so much is known about it, there is even more we don’t know," the Caring Bridge post reads. "They (doctors) said what happened to Mason is incredibly rare, they see it 3-4 times a year, where someone has a TBI and their body essentially shuts itself down. In those 3-4 instances they see, things typically “restart” themselves within 24-48 hours, making Mason's situation even more rare, as his body is taking a bit longer to get going again."
In recent days, his family said, the senior captain has made amazing progress, even posting a video of him in rehab walking with the help of therapists. His original discharge date was set for Dec. 7 but the Garcias said he is "kicking butt" and that his physical therapist is recommending that Mason be discharged this Friday, Dec. 1. Garcia is hoping to push that up to Thursday so he can attend the Stars' home game that night in person.
The Holy Angels Hockey community set up a GoFundMe account for Mason and the Garcias to help with medical bills and other expenses associated with his therapies and recovery. As of Monday morning, contributors had donated more than $52,000 of the fund's $55,000 goal.
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