BleedGopher
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per Marcus:
As a few hundred fans gathered at DeLaSalle for the Twin Cities Pro-Am championship last August, Curtis Johnson found his favorite team warming up in its black uniforms and pulled up next to them in his wheelchair.
Players beamed as they greeted him after finishing their layups.
Few people outside family had seen Johnson in the months since a stroke and complications that followed nearly killed him. He couldn't walk or live on his own. His days were mostly spent at a rehab facility in Golden Valley, working hard to get back home.
Curtis' son knows exactly what his father is going through.
Jarvis Johnson was near death when his heart stopped for more than 10 minutes after suffering cardiac arrest in eighth grade. Then 13 years old, he recovered, had a defibrillator implanted and enjoyed a stellar prep career at DeLaSalle, becoming the first player in Minnesota boys' basketball history to start on four consecutive state championship teams.
In the face of another tragedy, Jarvis and his family have been there to help his father along the long road back to recovery — the scary moments that came immediately after, the tough times as rehab began and the brighter days now and still to come.
Jarvis' strength became his dad's strength, especially when Curtis took his first few steps using a cane last fall. When his father made progress one day with pool therapy, Jarvis caught him on camera with a big smile, flashing a peace sign. The picture wound up on Jarvis' Instagram page, with the message: "Honestly got chills after seeing my pops happy like this."
On many afternoons, Jarvis made his father's day just wheeling him around the hallways of his rehab facility, sometimes taking selfies of them. They talked about school and basketball. Curtis often proudly wore a maroon Gophers hoodie.
"You miss playing?" he would ask his son.
"For sure," Jarvis always answered.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...each-other-through-health-problems/411016375/
Go Gophers!!
As a few hundred fans gathered at DeLaSalle for the Twin Cities Pro-Am championship last August, Curtis Johnson found his favorite team warming up in its black uniforms and pulled up next to them in his wheelchair.
Players beamed as they greeted him after finishing their layups.
Few people outside family had seen Johnson in the months since a stroke and complications that followed nearly killed him. He couldn't walk or live on his own. His days were mostly spent at a rehab facility in Golden Valley, working hard to get back home.
Curtis' son knows exactly what his father is going through.
Jarvis Johnson was near death when his heart stopped for more than 10 minutes after suffering cardiac arrest in eighth grade. Then 13 years old, he recovered, had a defibrillator implanted and enjoyed a stellar prep career at DeLaSalle, becoming the first player in Minnesota boys' basketball history to start on four consecutive state championship teams.
In the face of another tragedy, Jarvis and his family have been there to help his father along the long road back to recovery — the scary moments that came immediately after, the tough times as rehab began and the brighter days now and still to come.
Jarvis' strength became his dad's strength, especially when Curtis took his first few steps using a cane last fall. When his father made progress one day with pool therapy, Jarvis caught him on camera with a big smile, flashing a peace sign. The picture wound up on Jarvis' Instagram page, with the message: "Honestly got chills after seeing my pops happy like this."
On many afternoons, Jarvis made his father's day just wheeling him around the hallways of his rehab facility, sometimes taking selfies of them. They talked about school and basketball. Curtis often proudly wore a maroon Gophers hoodie.
"You miss playing?" he would ask his son.
"For sure," Jarvis always answered.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...each-other-through-health-problems/411016375/
Go Gophers!!
