‘He’s not a quitter’: Sopotyk family coping after Kamloops Blazer player paralyzed while snowboarding
Posted January 26, 2021 12:46 pm.
Last Updated January 26, 2021 12:47 pm.
KAMLOOPS (NEWS 1130) – The family of the 19-year-old WHL player paralyzed while snowboarding over the weekend says the situation is like a nightmare they can’t wake up from.
Kyrell Sopotyk’s mother was with him in the hospital room when they received the news.
“There was no sugar coating and they told him after the MRI, he wasn’t going to walk again. His first thing, with hockey, he said, ‘I’m never going to skate again,'” Lori tells Radio NL. “It was hard. It was so hard. He just needed to yell, and scream, and be angry, and get mad.”
She and her partner, Bobbie, say their son isn’t giving up despite the prognosis.
“Kyrell is not a person to sit back and not fight,” Lori says. “We’re going to get through it. The kid can do it. If anybody can do it, it’s Kyrell. He’s going to beat these odds and we’re going to keep fighting forward and getting help for him.”
RELATED: Kamloops Blazers’ Kyrell Sopotyk paralyzed in snowboard accident
Lori explains her son doesn’t have any feeling from his belly button down, but the family is hoping to beat the odds.
“Nobody wants to hear that prognosis for their child, especially when he has such high hopes and dreams,” Lori says.
“He’s not a quitter. He’s not.”
A GoFundMe page was set up for Kyrell and his family, which has raised more than $140,000 by Tuesday afternoon.
“We are so appreciative and overwhelmed by the support. We are keeping Ky’s spirits high and exploring all avenues. We can’t thank you all enough for your love and support” reads a comment from Bobbie and Lori on the fundraising page.
Sopotyk, who is from Saskatchewan, joined the Blazers in the 2018-19 season, scoring 45 points over his two seasons with the club.
-with files from Radio NL
