MARK McGOVERN MADE headlines in June when an alleged assault during a Gaelic football match in San Francisco left him comatose, with a low likelihood of recovery.
The 23-year-old defied the odds, however, first to regain consciousness and then begin a rehabilitative programme, at which he has thus far excelled.
Speaking for the first time since the incident, the Belcoo native told the BBC that, in retrospect, it was “amazing that [he] even came out of [the coma]“.
“One of my doctors told me that I was 97.5% dead… At that stage I really really did think of it as a miracle how bad I was.
“I never even knew how bad a shape I was until I was speaking to the doctor.”
In the weeks since he woke from the coma, McGovern has had to relearn a host of basic skills, including walking and talking, but appears on track to make a full recovery.
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Though his prognosis is a positive one, the player’s family will likely have to continue their fundraising efforts: McGovern’s medical costs comfortably exceed $1 million.
Patrick Power, the player deemed responsible for the original off-the-ball incident, received a 96-week ban from the San Francisco Competition Controls Committee and was reported to have been questioned by the San Francisco Police Department.
McGovern amazed by 'miracle' recovery
MARK McGOVERN MADE headlines in June when an alleged assault during a Gaelic football match in San Francisco left him comatose, with a low likelihood of recovery.
The 23-year-old defied the odds, however, first to regain consciousness and then begin a rehabilitative programme, at which he has thus far excelled.
Speaking for the first time since the incident, the Belcoo native told the BBC that, in retrospect, it was “amazing that [he] even came out of [the coma]“.
In the weeks since he woke from the coma, McGovern has had to relearn a host of basic skills, including walking and talking, but appears on track to make a full recovery.
Though his prognosis is a positive one, the player’s family will likely have to continue their fundraising efforts: McGovern’s medical costs comfortably exceed $1 million.
Patrick Power, the player deemed responsible for the original off-the-ball incident, received a 96-week ban from the San Francisco Competition Controls Committee and was reported to have been questioned by the San Francisco Police Department.
Read more on this story from the BBC>
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