by Mike Glemser is now aware of the cruel truth. “He knows,” says Andreas Huber, press officer of the ice hockey league Starbulls Rosenheim SID.
For Glemser, a 25-year-old ice hockey professional, this means: He can no longer breathe independently, he can no longer move. He is paralyzed from the neck down. And as of today, no one can say with absolute certainty whether anything WILL change at first.
The moment that divides Mike Glemser’s life into a before and an after was a month ago. It is February 3rd, in the 9th minute of the Starbulls Rosenheim game at SC Riessersee, when Glemser hits his head against the rink after a check.
It quickly becomes clear that something dramatic has happened, the young striker is being ventilated while still on the ice and then transported to the nearby Murnau accident clinic.
Glemser: family shocked after horror accident
The news of the accident came as a shock to the family. “I broke down. And then, that same night, we drove to Murnau,” says friend Lara Lindmayer in the newspaper Mercury.
Glemser’s father Ken is on business in Mallorca when he gets the horror news. They both currently live in “survival mode,” as Lindmayer puts it.
Glemser is then in an artificial coma for ten days and undergoes two operations. The fracture of the fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae is treated and one of the two vertebrae is replaced with an artificial implant.
The diagnosis is devastating: Glemser is paralyzed from the neck down, except for slight twitching of the biceps, he is unable to move. His lungs are sucked out twice a day because he cannot cough up, an extremely painful procedure.
Girlfriend learns lip reading
Speaking is also difficult for the native Swabian. “I learned to read lips to understand what he wants to say,” says girlfriend Lara.
For the time being, Glemser will remain in Murnau, he has been transferred from the intensive care unit to the so-called ventilation station.
One of the main goals is to restore his mobility to such an extent that at least one day he will be able to move around in a wheelchair by himself. The mobilization of the arms and wrists is therefore a focus of rehabilitation, says Andreas Huber.
“Maybe someday he’ll be able to move a wheelchair again,” replies father Ken, adding: “We hope that as much as possible will regenerate.”
Those affected process the horror accident of an ice hockey professional
Meanwhile, the affected players and those responsible are still struggling with the shock on the ice.
“His fate hits us hard,” explains Starbulls Managing Director Daniel Bucheli. Then Glemser is an enormously valued member of the team who represents the values of the association: hard work, impeccable behavior and good character.
The teammates rely on therapy to process the events. “We talk a lot about the accident, that helps us,” says Steffen Tölzer, who is good friends with Glemser.
The opponent, SC Riessersee, also relies on a lot of talks. “It’s terrible what happened,” managing director Panagiotis Christakais expressed his regret.
Call for donations for Rosenheim professionals
During this difficult time, Kein Glemser wants to help his son as well as his girlfriend. Both are in the hospital every day, Lindmayer even lives in a player’s apartment through mediation by SC Riessersee.
Nevertheless, immense costs await them first. In order to finance the complex treatment and the necessary conversion work in the family home, the Starbulls Rosenheim launched a fundraiser for Mike Glemser via the GoFundMe platform.
By Saturday evening, over 300,000 euros had already been received there. “Insane,” Andreas Huber calls it: “Mike is such a fine guy, he deserves every support.”
Over Heaven sends the NHL professionals Philipp Grubauer and Moritz Seider a greeting to Glemser. “A lot of things go beyond the ice surface,” said Grubauer, goalie for the Seattle Kraken, “so the result on the video board doesn’t count anymore. Don’t give up Mike. We all have your back.”
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Seider said, “We’re definitely thinking of you. It is unbelievable what you have already achieved with the donations. Go on! We are crossing our fingers.”
The Starbulls Rosenheim fundraising campaign for Mike Glemser can be accessed via the link www.starbulls.de/bestrong. The platform can also be reached via social networks under the hashtag #97BeStrong.
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With Sport Information Service (SID)
