Posted by Kfrankland on July 8, 2009 at 11:27 a.m.
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Thank for writing the article today on Marc Floresca. I have known Marc as I've played hockey with him here in the area for over eight years now. I was just elected president for our local ice hockey league, Memphis Youth Hockey (MYHL), and I can say Marc is one of our most influential members as a player, a hockey dad, a coach, and a volunteer; a true hockey community leader. There is not a finer person in our organization and maybe in this entire greater Memphis community than Marc Floresca. I have never seen him without a smile on his face. He's the friendliest person I think I have ever known. He is always willing to help everybody and anyone. He has a passion for the sport of hockey and he's developed his skills all on his own and is literally always the last one off the ice.
I was able to see him at the hospital shortly after the accident and as I imagined, he was in rough shape. You could tell he was in severe pain. Nurses were moving him about to change his clothes, administer medicine, and get him back in the medical braces and harnesses to keep his body steady. When I got a chance, I asked him how he was doing and his reply was perfect Marc, "Never better". And within seconds, he was asking me about my family and my kids, talking to me about hockey and never about himself or his condition. He was cracking jokes with the nurses. He was unbelievably thankful and appreciative of their help, asking each one of them their first names and complimenting them on a job well done. Eventually he explained to me his accident, what had happened, and what the doctors were saying about his condition that there would be a very, very minor chance he would walk again (only 10% of his spinal cord is still attached). But he told me to give him a few months and he'd be back out on the ice. He told me to reserve a spot for him in the upcoming fall/winter adult hockey league. If there was anyone on the planet that could keep that promise, it's Marc Floresca.
You also mentioned the support the Floresca's have received. The support and outpouring from the hockey community for Marc has been phenomemal. Mitch McLain is one of our volunteers and he's done an excellent job taking the lead to help efforts for the Floresca family. There are plenty of others, the list is very long, and I've even received emails and inquires from other regional hockey organizations that have offered to help. There are several initiatives and other fund-raising activities in the works to help raise money for Marc and his family. For your information, just so you have it, our organization has been posting updates and notices of these activities on our league website, with a sub-link about Marc. If you know of anyone that is interested in helping, you can direct people to the site: www.memphisyouthhockey.com.
Kerry Frankland President, Memphis Youth Hockey League
Posted by Kfrankland on July 8, 2009 at 11:27 a.m.
ReplyDeleteReply to this post | Suggest removal
Thank for writing the article today on Marc Floresca. I have known Marc as I've played hockey with him here in the area for over eight years now. I was just elected president for our local ice hockey league, Memphis Youth Hockey (MYHL), and I can say Marc is one of our most influential members as a player, a hockey dad, a coach, and a volunteer; a true hockey community leader. There is not a finer person in our organization and maybe in this entire greater Memphis community than Marc Floresca. I have never seen him without a smile on his face. He's the friendliest person I think I have ever known. He is always willing to help everybody and anyone. He has a passion for the sport of hockey and he's developed his skills all on his own and is literally always the last one off the ice.
I was able to see him at the hospital shortly after the accident and as I imagined, he was in rough shape. You could tell he was in severe pain. Nurses were moving him about to change his clothes, administer medicine, and get him back in the medical braces and harnesses to keep his body steady. When I got a chance, I asked him how he was doing and his reply was perfect Marc, "Never better". And within seconds, he was asking me about my family and my kids, talking to me about hockey and never about himself or his condition. He was cracking jokes with the nurses. He was unbelievably thankful and appreciative of their help, asking each one of them their first names and complimenting them on a job well done. Eventually he explained to me his accident, what had happened, and what the doctors were saying about his condition that there would be a very, very minor chance he would walk again (only 10% of his spinal cord is still attached). But he told me to give him a few months and he'd be back out on the
ice. He told me to reserve a spot for him in the upcoming fall/winter adult hockey league. If there was anyone on the planet that could keep that promise, it's Marc Floresca.
You also mentioned the support the Floresca's have received. The support and outpouring from the hockey community for Marc has been phenomemal. Mitch McLain is one of our volunteers and he's done an excellent job taking the lead to help efforts for the Floresca family. There are plenty of others, the list is very long, and I've even received emails and inquires from other regional hockey organizations that have offered to help. There are several initiatives and other fund-raising activities in the works to help raise money for Marc and his family. For your information, just so you have it, our organization has been posting updates and notices of these activities on our league website, with a sub-link about Marc. If you know of anyone that is interested in helping, you can direct people to the site: www.memphisyouthhockey.com.
Kerry Frankland
President, Memphis Youth Hockey League