January 27, 2021 / 11:59 PM / CBS Boston ATTLEBORO (CBS) - Bishop Feehan High School is rallying around a hockey player injured on the ice Tuesday night. !, The entire South Shore Kings organization is praying for Jake Thibeault. Massachusetts high school hockey player, 18, may never walk again after fracturing his spine and suffering a brain bleed during Labor Day tournament Jake Thibeault, 18, has been paralyzed from. Can the Lions fix their defense? Lizotte, who previously coached Jake, said he was devastated that something like this could happen to such a "dedicated" and "hardworking" student-athlete. We had the opportunity to work with each other for several months. Ravens GM says he covets QBs, 'Unbelievable night': ND wins Brey's home finale, Montana SB jersey breaks Brady's auction record, Colts GM pins moving up to 'guy worthy of it', Spring batting averages, runs up amid shift limits, The triumph of Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors in Creed III, 5 things to know as Antoine Davis is set to pass 'Pistol' Pete's scoring record. Roy died in. Support, from prayers and well wishes to hundreds of thousands of dollars, has flooded in for a Milton Academy hockey player, whose dreams of playing at the collegiate level were dashed following a severe, on-ice injury on Saturday that left him paralyzed from the waist down. A memory that Ill always have is skating around at Midnight Madness freshman year at a packed Walter Brown Arena, and he was just so excited to get going and embark on a college career. Ill take either one.. The car began to fishtail. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "Jake is going to do great things in this world, even if hockey is taken away from him he's going to do other things that are absolutely unbelievable. For researchers and scientists the most important question is basic: How can an injured spinal cord regenerate and reconnect the wires from the brain to the muscles and nerves throughout the body? Would You Like Some Coffee with Your Monopoly? Now, he is able to walk on his own with acrutch. Condolences to Travis family, and the BU hockey and athletics family. Did our kid take eight strides and then hit him? To see a life changed in such a direction because of 11 seconds. Such an inspiration. It is the wish of every paralyzed person that one day their wheelchair will no longer be needed, the foundation website says of its mission. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. All Rights Reserved. Jablonski, who scored a goal earlier in the game, was a member of the Benilde-St. Margaret's varsity team, but was playing with the JV over the holidays to get more playing time. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A talented hockey player with a bright future and NHL aspirations, the 17-year-old was injured in a Nov. 15 game. What a gracious, generous and unassuming man he was. To this day, I have function and movement in both of my arms. I'm going to fight this to the end and, obviously, I believe I'll walk again, and I think a lot started with that original support from Minnesota hockey community and the hockey community in Minnesota in general.". September 7, 2021. What he did with the second part of his life was an inspiration and his legacy will live on. Every time I walked into the arena and saw the photo of Travis making a clay pot with a huge smile on his face my day got better. Robbed of his physical gifts, he carried on that empathetic spirit of the hockey world, which is to say maybe were adversaries today on the ice, but arent we so lucky to be part of this hockey family. You Can Call Her Joanna, Opening Doors: Emma Kalff (CAS15) and Sandra Soto (Wheelock16), Alum Mike Grier Is Hockeys First Black General Manager, My Big Idea: a Web- and App-Based Tool to Plan a Meaningful Life, Five Alums Named to Forbes 50 over 50 List, Alum Deena Sheldon Inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Two Alums Crowned Winners on Food Networks NFL Tailgate Takedown, BU Alums, Former Students Shine in Forbes 2023 30 Under 30 List, A Public Theology: BU Alumni Pastors Bring Their Faith to Politics, Sunset Cantina Reopens, with an Alum a Co-owner, Whats It Like to Be a Music Supervisor for a TV Show? Travis M. Roy Professorship at Sargent College, Roy received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, profile on the 20th anniversary of his injury, Feedback: Readers Weigh In on a Changing BU, the Legacy of Travis Roy, the Health Effects of Alcohol, and More, Former Terrier and Bruin Jay Pandolfo Named BU Mens Ice Hockey Head Coach, Terrier Mens Hockey Falls in NCAA Regional Semifinals, As Womens Hockey Prepares for the Beanpot, Terrier Senior Captain Reflects on the Season, Her Name Is Qiongyue. He said he occasionally thought about what might have happened if he hadnt been injured. Your work here is done, but the inspiration of your life does and will live on. Support, from prayers and well wishes to hundreds of thousands of dollars, has flooded in for a Milton Academy hockey player, whose dreams of playing at the collegiate level . Thank you for helping all of us every day. The GoFundMe page for AJ was set up Wednesday afternoon and has already raised more than $200,000. Hes the first to pass the puck to set up a perfect scoring opportunity for (a) teammate and the first kid to provide backup if someone is disrespecting his team. 1. Now its time for him to create new dreams to chase!! I just thought the research would move along and by the time I was 40 I might have a chance of some normalcy again, Roy told the AP in 2015, some kids and a wife and not living with 24-hour home care anymore., The hockey world mourned his passing on Thursday, with the NHL calling Roy a special man who responded to his devastating injury by dedicating himself to serving others.. His story is the epitome of inspiration and courage, and he was a role model and a hero to so many people. Donations for the GoFundMe campaign on Tuesday poured in at a rate of tens of thousands of dollars in merely a few hours, surpassing its $250,000 goal in the afternoon. "Absolutely. ", "Losing hockey and his dream of playing collegiately, which we now know for certain was happening, is soul crushing for him," he wrote. All rights reserved, AJ Quetta Attends High School Graduation Months After Serious Spinal Injury, You've All Given Me Reason to Keep Fighting': Injured Mass. Roy with his family in 1999, and carrying the Olympic torch in 1996. His parents deserve a great deal of credit for raising such a fine human being. All rights reserved. In this role I was part of a group which supported events that enriched the community and I was also allowed to put proposals up to the council for it to run. She graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Television-Radio (and an appearance in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Final Four!). His legacy and good deeds will live forever. You will be sorely missed, but your legacy of kindness, generosity, and perseverance will stay with us forever.. Growing up a hockey player in Massachusetts and just a year younger than Travis, I remember that terrible news in 1995. The relationship my family and I had with Travis was unbelievably close. With help from a walker and leg braces, hockey player Jake Thibeault walked across the stage to accept his high school diploma, nearly 9 months after becoming paralyzed. I did not know Travis Roy, but he was someone I admired from afar. Driving back to New Hampshire, the big smile & warm greeting seemed hard to process from a guy dealt such awful cards by the hand of fate. Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter:@DanaBenbow. Just a few months ago I was flying home from Indiana and got on my flight looked over and Travis was on the same flight as me. January 27, 2021 / 11:59 PM A Massachusetts community is rallying around a teen ice hockey player after he was seriously injured during a recent game. HLN's Robin Meade reports. February 3, 2021 7:35 am. Massachusetts HS hockey player may be paralyzed after crashing into boards, family says January 27, 2021, 7:28 PM Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised to cover his medical costs,. Fantasy basketball: How concerning is LeBron James' injury? His wonderful life after has brought me comfort.R.I.P. Jake has already discussed the idea of becoming a sled skating Olympian with his long-time skating coach, in the event his hockey dreams dont come to be. 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, UFC 285's Shevchenko by the numbers: It all adds up to domination, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, Oral history: When Barcelona, Real Madrid played four Clasicos in 18 days back in 2011. I like many others, volunteered to answer phones the morning of the initial fund raising telethon. Rest In Peace. He was both incredibly gracious as an individual and an inspiring speaker. No.". She even jokes sometimes that he is "faking" his injury because of the progress he's made. It was huge for me. A few years later at a Lake Placid hockey event, I recall participatng in a 50-50 event where the winners take was to be about $8000 with proceeds going to the Travis Roy Fund. My sons were playing high school hockey at the time and it really hit all the players and the parents very hard. Additionally, he's the associate digital media content specialist for the Los Angeles Kings. "Was it a check from behind? Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? But I have been so fortunate, and all the people who have helped me are still with me. "But can he be part of the community and teach kids the love of hockey and get out there and skate as well? He was 45. Who inspires you? Mass. "Yeah, it's something I've been intrigued by and would definitely like to try out, whether it would be working as color commentator, an in-between [periods] analyst, or personality for [the] LA Kings on TV in some fashion or another. Youd be hard-pressed to find anyone who could give so much while dealing with an unbelievable handicap. I was a senior at BU when Travis was a freshman. Jack Jablonski, the former Minnesota high school hockey player whose story of being paralyzed on the ice reached many Minnesotans, said Wednesday that he had another obstacle to overcome. "With athletes, if there is a chance that we can win, we are going to do everything we can to do it," Johnson said. It was the most tragic moment I have ever witnessed in my 77 years. ! he quipped. Travis Roy, the former Boston University hockey player who was paralyzed during his first game and went on to become an advocate for spinal cord research, has died. It felt as if there should have been a special awards category for him the rest of us simply were outstanding leaders, not having done so to rise above adversity as he had as part of his challenge. "[I have] aspirations to get into hockey operations one day, but this is an amazing situation I'm in right now [with the Kings]," Jablonski said Friday. by It severely damaged his spinal cord and left him paralyzed from the neck down. Travis Roy at center ice at the Agganis Arena in October 2015. "We offer our full support and well wishes to Jake, his family and the rest of the Milton Academy hockey community," the team said. Those of us who rowed, played football and wrestled for Boston University used to brag about the weight we had lifted, the tackles we made and the take downs and escapes we effected in our careers on the water, sports fields and mats. Jake was a member of our U18 full season team last season. Doug Most Prior to joining PEOPLE, Joelle was employed atThe Hollywood Reporter. The 18-year-old suffered spine fractures and a mild brain hemorrhage and is being treated at UMass Memorial Medical Center. Jablonski was hurt on a hit from behind in the third period of a junior varsity game between Benilde-St. Margaret's and Wayzata during a holiday tournament. Nobody would have blamed the Chatham boys ice hockey team for feeling down on itself. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Now, just learning how HE spent these last 25 years, makes my pride glow so much brighter, he has moved on to the next chapter of existence with that as his positive experience. Generosity, and exclusive reporting notifications for high school hockey player paralyzed news, live events, and carrying the torch... Of his life was an inspiration and his legacy will live on to this day, I have ever in... Entire South Shore Kings organization is praying for Jake Thibeault with each other several... 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