Injured Humboldt Broncos player Morgan Gobeil was able to attend his big brother’s wedding this summer thanks to the volunteer efforts of staff helping with his recovery, his family says.
That special occasion was a chance to be a family again outside of the hospital, they said.
The family issued an update on Gobeil’s recovery Monday via the Saskatchewan Health Authority. While Gobeil is focused on rehabilitation, he faces a long road to recovery.
Here is the family’s full statement:
Where to begin? There is so much that has happened since April 6, 2018. We know that there are so many people who want to know how Morgan is doing.
What we will tell you is that he is recovering, but he has a long way to go and will still be in hospital for a few more months. Morgan suffered a significant brain injury and the past months have been difficult, with the road to recovery complex. But at the same time, it has been remarkable to watch his progress.
He is a tough kid, and he is using all that determination that made him successful in both sports and academics to keep moving forward. We believe he gets better every day. We have said that from day one. We also know his journey is a long one.
He is now focused on rehabilitation, where he participates in physio, occupational and speech therapies and does all this with a good demeanor. Although he knows he was in a bus accident on the way to his game in Nipawin, he does not know the extent of what has happened.
And because Morgan does not yet know the gravity of the accident, he is unaware of the overwhelming support that has poured in from across the world. However, we want everyone to know that we, his family, are.
We are so grateful for that. We want to say thank you to the first responders who were on the scene, and to all those nearby who opened their homes and their arms to support everyone during such a terrible time that night. Thank-you to everyone in the Nipawin and Tisdale hospitals for all they did for us in those first hours.
Thank-you to STARS, air ambulance, and everyone at Royal University Hospital and Saskatoon City Hospital, along with Ronald McDonald House, for the care, dedication and compassion we have experienced over these many months.
We had no idea just how engaged everyone would be in helping Morgan recover. The support we have received has been unbelievable and we are forever grateful. We wanted to say a special thank-you to the staff who volunteered to help Morgan attend his big brother’s wedding this summer, giving us the chance to be a family again outside of the hospital.
To our family, friends and neighbours, our home community of Humboldt, Morgan’s baseball and football teams, all his past and present sports teams, the Broncos organization, the students and staff at Humboldt Collegiate Institute, and to everyone at St. Augustine Church, we know you have been there for us, and that you have been praying for Morgan.
To our new Broncos family, Morgan’s teammates and their families, we couldn’t get through this without your support! We cherish the bond and the many friendships we have formed over the last five months.
And to all those from around the province, the country, and the world who have enveloped us in your support and prayers, we are eternally grateful and incredibly humbled. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and ask that you continue to pray for Morgan’s recovery.
Our community, friends and the support of the whole world has made all the difference. It has helped Morgan and our family get to this point and continues to help keep us Humboldt Strong.
Thank-you
