Enter the tragic story of Finnish Olympic hockey star Sanni Hakala, whose life took a devastating turn after a head-first collision with a goalpost left her paralyzed.
From Western Journal:
HV71 coach Ulf Hall said after the injury Hakala was “conscious and talking, but in pain,” the Mirror reported. She “showed movement in her arms,” the coach said, before she underwent surgery in Linköping.
Hakala provided an update to her supporters on Friday on Instagram.
“It is still hard to understand what has happened, that the crash into the goal post was as serious as it was, that the consequences have become so big,” she said.
“Not only that I am forced to stop playing hockey, something that has been a big part of my life for many years, but that I may be forced to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.”
Hakala said her injury “left me paralyzed from the chest down, with reduced function in my arms and hands. That’s the reality I’m trying to land in.”
“I understand that I am now facing a long and hard fight with my body and the toughest game of my life. I have had amazing support from my family from day one and I know that they will be by my side throughout the whole journey. Without them by my side this would not have been possible,” she said.
My heart truly aches for this young lady who, by all accounts, was incredibly talented in her sport, only to have it all ripped away in the blink of an eye.
My sincere hope is that Sanni experiences a miraculous recovery, swiftly reclaiming the ability to get back out there on the ice and resume doing what she loves most.
