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Injured athlete back in the game

BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW [email protected] Michael Medakovic's broken neck didn't crush his dreams or his desire to compete in sports.
BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW

Michael Medakovic's broken neck didn't crush his dreams or his desire to compete in sports.

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Michael Medakovic is very lucky he is not paralyzed after breaking his neck.
Last January, at the age of 16, Medakovic was playing for the Lo-Ellen Park Knights varsity hockey team when a serious accident occurred.
During a game against St. Benedict's, Medakovic charged into a player to distribute a routine body check.

Medakovic missed his opponent and crashed head first into the boards.

For minutes, he lay stunned on the ice looking up at the arena roof. Although he didn't realize it, Medakovic had broken the C1 and C5 vertebrae in his neck.

"I had a ringing in my head," said Medakovic. "I got up under my own power, changed and watched the rest of the game from the stands. I went home, hurting a bit, but I had no idea that I had broken my neck. I thought I had just pulled a muscle."

Two days later he went to see a chiropractor who did tests and took a few X-rays.

"The chiropractor called and told my mom to get me to the hospital because I had a broken neck," said Medakovic.

"I was surprised for sure. We wrapped a towel around my neck to keep it from moving."

The doctors confirmed the bad news to Medakovic.

"They said I was very lucky I wasn't paralyzed. They said even with the slightest movement, I could have been paralyzed.

"When the bones broke, they didn't pinch any nerves, so that's why I wasn't paralyzed right away. I do consider myself to be lucky. It was just an
accident that happened."

Although he didn't need surgery, Medakovic had to wear supportive equipment known as a halo.

"I had to wear a hard vest over my upper body with four bars attached to it," said Medakovic. "Two bars in the front and two bars in the back were attached to a crown that went around my head. Then I had four screws put into my skull to stabilize my neck. I was in that set up for three months afterwards, and I couldn't do anything at all. It was tough."

For the next three months, Medakovic had to visit the doctors once a week to have the screws adjusted. The screws were bored into his skull to a
depth of about one centimetre. He still has the scars from the holes they made.

"The whole thing didn't really bother me," said Medakovic. "I still went to school and friends came over to visit, but it did suck."

There was one time when the situation tested Medakovic's strength.

"At one point the right screw in the front came loose," said Medakovic. "They had to manually screw it in with a screwdriver. My head wasn't frozen, and it was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. I could literally feel the screw going into my skull."

In April of 2004, the halo came off.

"It was a big relief to get it off," said Medakovic. "I still couldn't do anything. I had to build up my neck strength and wear a soft collar for a month. I didn't have to do physiotherapy, just neck stretches."

When the 2004-05 high school season started up, Medakovic couldn't keep his competitive spirit bottled up. He needed to compete, but the doctors had told him he would have to avoid contact to the top of his head.

"My neck is straight now," said Medakovic. "Usually your neck is curved. If I get hit on the top of my head, my neck will be crushed."

So, instead of jumping back into the physically intense game of hockey, Medakovic turned his sights to the senior boy's basketball team.

He made the team, and has been an inspiration ever since. The squad is one of the top three teams competing for the city championship this year.

"Mike's a hard worker and one of our best rebounders," said Knights' basketball head coach Mark Bennett.

"If you watch him play, you would never know he sustained that kind of an injury because he's aggressive out there. He's doing surprisingly well."

For Medakovic, the feeling he gets competing for glory is rewarding enough for him, and knows his friends and family helped him get back to where he loves to be.

"It definitely feels great to play sports again," said Medakovic. "I like to compete and play sports. It's what I live for. My family and friends were my inspiration throughout my injury."

Pat Belanger, program leader for physical education at Lo-Ellen is amazed at Medakovic's remarkable come back.

"Just for him to come back to any type of sports after the injury he sustained is a credit to him."



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