When Tom Straschnitzki first heard the news of the crash involving the Humboldt Broncos team bus, he didn’t think that it could be that bad, but soon learned that it was much more than a minor incident.
“I was thinking it was a minor fender bender or whatever and then as the media storm was hitting I was thinking ‘oh boy, this is serious’,” he told CTV Calgary on Friday.
“So then we couldn’t phone anybody because we’re in Airdrie and they’re in Saskatchewan so we didn’t know what was going on, so we waited, waited and waited.”
16 people died in a crash between the Humboldt Broncos team bus and a semi tractor-trailer unit on a rural highway in northern Saskatchewan on April 6, 2018.
The team was on their way to play against the Nipawin Hawks when the crash took place.
Ryan Straschnitzki, 18, was severely injured in the crash and needed to have surgery on his back. The prognosis was bleak but Tom said that wasn’t their main concern.
“We had to wait two hours and then we went in and saw him and we kind of figured from what we saw and what the doctors told us what was happening. They weren’t positive on anything but we kind of figured it out. He was alive and breathing and that’s all I cared about.”
Now, about a week after the incident, Tom says that while his son is paralyzed, he is looking forward to the little things.
“He’s been pretty strong and they say that with the way he is fighting and trying that they might be moving him out of ICU tomorrow. They might be bringing him in with his other brothers that are on a different floor, so he’s looking forward to that.”
However, he says it could still be weeks before he is released from hospital as doctors want to make sure he is completely stable.
In the meantime, Tom says they are working on modifying their home to accommodate Ryan when he gets there.
“I have a buddy who runs a construction company and is scoping out the basement where we have a walk-out, where Ryan wants to be. We’re trying to get estimates to see how we can make it wheelchair-accessible.”
Tom is also extremely thankful for all the support from his family, friends, neighbours and the rest of the world.
“The Hockey Stick Day, the Jersey Day, it’s phenomenal. The GoFundMe page is just blowing all the families away with all that support. The hat, StrazStrong, that’s done by Ryan’s trainer Cody, and it’s been phenomenal.”
A gathering is also planned to take place in Airdrie at Chinook Winds Park at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Ryan’s cousin is expected to speak on behalf of the family.
“I guess there are going to be speeches from what they say and we have a representative from our neighbourhood because they’ve been fantastic. My niece is going to say something to represent the family because we wanted to say something. Some of Ryan’s friends are going to speak also.”
As for the years ahead, Tom says he knows that Ryan will never give up on the sport he loves.
“Knowing my son, he’ll be trying out for a sledge hockey team somewhere.”
Three more funerals for the victims of the tragic crash are taking place on Friday.
