Airdrie player eager to begin treatment in U.S.
Broncos player heads to Philadelphia for specialized spinal treatment
As Ryan Straschnitzki prepares for a flight to Philadelphia on Wednesday, where he’ll continue his rehabilitation at the Shriners Hospital for Children, the 19-yearold Humboldt Broncos player says he has mixed emotions.
Straschnitzki, who was paralyzed from the chest down in the team bus crash in April, was told he’d never walk again. But he’s also seen how far he can come in a short time, wowing his physiotherapists with progress that wasn’t expected for weeks down the road.
It’s a point of pride for Straschnitzki, but also a reason to stay optimistic.
“Physio started and I was about a couple weeks in and I wasn’t supposed to be able to roll and everything. They thought, ‘OK, let’s try it and see what happens,’” he recalled. “I ended up doing it and they said ‘you’re not supposed to be doing this for another two weeks until the left side’s healed.’ I exceeded their expectations and from there they’ve just been challenging me.”
Straschnitzki has been getting physiotherapy twice a day at Calgary’s Foothills Medical Centre. On Tuesday, he pushed through the pain, using the strength of his elbows and shoulders to lift himself from high positions to lower ones and back again. Those skills will eventually help him transfer from his wheelchair to a car seat, or go from lying down to sitting up in bed, as independently as possible.
He aims to build on that progress throughout the next two months in Philadelphia, after the Shriners reached out to the family earlier this month to offer specialized spinal treatment at their facilities.
“They offered to support me in any way possible. They have some of the best technologies down there and stuff Canada doesn’t have access to,” Straschnitzki said. “I figure if it’s my best opportunity to possibly walk again, then I’m excited to go.”
His dad, Tom, will make the trip with him Wednesday and stay for the first couple of weeks, before switching off with his mom, Michelle. “I can’t wait to try Philly cheesesteak,” Straschnitzki joked.
The long-term plan is for Straschnitzki to return to Alberta after six to eight weeks of treatment.
By then, it will have been about four months since the crash. The family hopes renovations to the basement in their Airdrie house to make it wheelchair accessible will be finished, so Straschnitzki can finally go home.
But, for now, he isn’t getting ahead of himself. Straschnitzki knows the next step will be crucial and says he’s eager to find out what challenges await him in Philadelphia.
“A little bit of excitement, a change of scenery, but also nervousness because you don’t know what to expect, really,” he said of his mindset. “I know what they have, I don’t know what I’m going to be doing. I’m willing to try anything. But, again, if things don’t work out, it’s not the end of the line. There’s so much to live for.”
I’m willing to try anything. But, again, if things don’t work out, it’s not the end of the line. There’s so much to live for.