14 Year Old Danny Smuts Collapsed During Soccer Game
Danny Smuts Jr. from Escondido suffered an injury during game that has left him with no feeling below his waist.
Soccer News: In early July, 14-year-old Danny Smuts Jr. collapsed on an Escondido soccer field with a spinal stroke that has left him with no feeling below his waist.
For his parents, Daniel and Cyndie Smuts, the accident has been devastating, but also filled with hope. As dark as things get from day to day, Danny brings the sunshine.
“His spirits are amazing. He has taken this better than anybody else,” the boy’s father said.
“As parents, it’s been a whirlwind, you have ups and you have downs and we’re holding on to hope. But honestly it’s easier to be strong when you’re in the room with Danny because he’s our source of strength. When he’s joking and enjoying himself, you tend to enjoy it. But when you’re away, you think about the things that might never happen.”
On the evening of July 17, Danny was playing in a soccer game at Frances Ryan Park in Escondido. As he ran through the center of the field and stretched to intercept a ball, he fell to the ground with severe back pain. Within moments, his feet started tingling and from the toes up he slowly lost all sensation in his legs, his father said.
At first, doctors suspected he had transverse myelitis, a rare inflammatory disease that can damage the spinal cord and cause paralysis. But subsequent tests show he suffered a spinal stroke, which is caused by a disruption of blood flow to the spine. His doctors at the Naval Medical Center Children’s Hospital in San Diego aren’t sure what caused the disruption and they’re not sure what recovery he can expect.
Spinal strokes occur in just 1.2 percent of stroke cases and patients can see either a gradual recovery over several months or they may never regain the use of their legs, bowel and bladder functions.
“The doctors have given us reason to hope. The next three to six months will be very telling,” Smuts said. “We hold on to the fact that most of the information out there on stroke recovery is for people in their 60s, 70s and 80s. He’s still growing and he’s just 14. He’s got a lot of time and he’s very motivated.”
On Monday, Danny was moved from the hospital’s ICU ward to the hospital’s rehabilitation center where he is now undergoing occupational therapy. Smut said his son is attacking physical therapy with a great deal of gusto.
At the end of August, Danny is scheduled to start ninth grade at Mission Hills High School, where his father is a science teacher. His mother, Cyndie, is a special-education teacher at San Marcos Middle School.
Mission Hills is well adapted for students with disabilities, so Smuts said he believes his son will do well there, even if he arrives in a wheelchair or walker. Danny was going to play on the school’s baseball and soccer teams, but that is now likely off the table, at least for his freshman year.
Danny was playing soccer with his club team, FC Heat U15, when his injury occurred. Steve Yorke, director of coaching for FC Heat, described Danny as a top attacking midfield player.
“He has very fast feet and natural skills to beat a player one on one nearly every time,” Yorke said. “He has a nose for the goal and can score with either foot.”
Danny’s team was playing in a pool round against the FC Heat boys Under-14 team in the Dave Shelton tournament when the spinal stroke occurred. Yorke, who coaches the U-14 team, said Danny received first aid almost immediately because two of the parents on the sidelines that night had medical training.
“A paramedic who is the father of one of my players was watching the game. He came on the field and nobody moved Danny and just kept him calm,” Yorke said. “Next to the field was Dr. Peter Minkoff, who is one of the directors of FC Heat. We called the paramedics who tested his blood pressure and transported him to the hospital.”
Smuts said he’s been overwhelmed by the support his family has received from the communities of Escondido and San Marcos as well as their friends at Community Lutheran Church.
To help with expenses not covered by insurance, friends have started a Gofundme Campaign that has raised more than $7,200 in the past five days. Yorke said the Smuts are “a great family who do good for everyone they come into contact with.”
“The Smuts family is one of the strongest, most close-knit families we have ever known,” Yorke said.
Danny’s team was scheduled to move on to the FC Heat final cup match, but after the accident, FC Heat directors decided to indefinitely postpone the match and turn it into a fundraiser for the family instead.
“The goal is to have Danny attend when he can gets some kind of recovery,” Yorke said. “We are waiting for him.”
Source: Pam Kragen/San Diego Union Tribune, Photo Courtesy of Smuts Family
