An example of overcoming at the Donosti Cup
Carlos Verhoff, a Wisconsin International player, had a near-fatal accident that could have prevented him from playing in the current edition of the tournament
On December 14, 2023, Carlos left the school heading home by the usual route by car. A road that changed his life and that could have made him a better man. He and his companions approached an intersection where they had to stop because they could not see if a car was approaching from the left side of the road, due to some trees that obstructed the driver's vision.
At the moment they ventured to cross the intersection, a large pickup truck, a Ford F-150, that was going over the speed limit as indicated by the victim's mother, crashed into the young man's car, unfortunately impacting the door where Carlos was sitting. Due to the heavy blow he received directly from the car, Carlos needed urgent medical assistance and the ambulances transported the young man to the nearest hospital.
The others in the car did not suffer as many injuries, except for his companion who was sitting next to him. "My best friend also had to go to the hospital, being a great support and helping me in my recovery," says the young America.
The medical report indicated that he had a fractured pelvis, internally damaging the urethra area, having to undergo surgery in an operation of about 4 hours. He also suffered from ruptures in a vertebra and other bones in his body. One of the most alarming evaluations was when a blood leakage was detected inside his brain, which caused some memory loss. The Wisconsin player has no memory of the first two weeks of recovery despite being conscious and talking to family members and doctors.
"Thank God, the internal bleeding in my head wasn't that bad. Despite this, I was slow to speak and could not reason between reality and sleep. When Dr. Walter was communicating with us and we were told that they did not know if he would be able to walk again," the mother said.
Carlos was admitted to the hospital for two weeks, where he had to receive daily rehabilitation therapies, both cognitive, due to the brain bleeding, and physical. His mother declared that although her son had to suffer, everything could have been much worse. This is due to the fact that the blow caused a fracture in one of his vertebrae, without touching the spine, thus avoiding a possible paralysis.
After the serious injuries, the rehabilitation times were shortened and a screw that was inserted for his pelvis will be removed in a few months, as a result of his great improvement.
Carlos, after finishing school, wants to enter the United States Naval Academy. He says that he has to obtain very good academic results, but this is not a problem for him. In spite of all the complications and the many extracurricular hours he has attended, he has passed his course with flying colors.
The Donosti Cup, aware of the terrible event, was in constant contact with the family and exchanged messages via e-mail with Carlos himself. Likewise, his parents are very grateful for all the affection shown by the organization of the tournament.
The Wisconsin International player together with his closest relatives managed to travel to San Sebastian, thus fulfilling one of the dreams that drove him to recover from his serious injuries: Playing the Donosti Cup.
