A college football player from Atlanta who was hospitalized after collapsing during a game last fall has a message for other injured athletes fighting to recover.
“Believe in God because without him nothing is possible. He made everything happen for me," Christion Abercrombie told Channel 2 Action News.
Abercrombie, who played at Tennessee State University and Westlake High School in south Fulton County, said he’s “feeling good” now.
“I had problems with memory in the beginning, but now it’s coming back to me," he told Channel 2.
For months, the 20-year-old has been in rehabilitation working to overcome the brain injury that left him on a ventilator for two weeks.
During the second quarter of a game against Vanderbilt in September, the sophomore linebacker was “taking on a blocker,” TSU coach Rod Reed said soon after the injury.
And then, he collapsed.
RELATED: College football player from Atlanta in critical condition with head injury
At the time, the cause of Abercrombie’s injury was unclear. His mother said she and other family members were at the game and never saw him get injured.
“We didn’t see anything. We knew nothing,” Staci Abercrombie previously told AJC.com.
Abercrombie was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, which was about a two-minute drive from the stadium. Once at the hospital, he underwent emergency surgery. Doctors determined he had suffered from a number of strokes and had a severe brain injury, Channel 2 reported.
Abercrombie remained in critical condition for two weeks before he began breathing on his own.
For days, his parents stayed at the hospital with him and watched as their son began showing signs of recovery.
“I prayed with expectancy because I knew God was going to bless us," Staci Abercrombie said.
MORE: Mom of injured football player: 'We're not blaming. We're blessed'
Abercrombie’s mother told Channel 2 that with every step her son took, she knew a full recovery was possible.
“He enjoys the sessions with his therapists. He talks about it here at home," she explained.
Abercrombie was discharged Oct. 17 and transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for rehabilitation.
His coach called the discharge a miracle.
“It just shows the power of God,” Reed said in a tweet. “This is, in my opinion, a miracle that he’s being discharged after such a traumatic experience.”
Abercrombie recently graduated from the Shepherd Center, Channel 2 reported. Doctors have run several follow-up tests and said Abercrombie’s brain is healing well, Channel 2 reported.
Now, he’s looking forward to finishing his degree in sports medicine.
ALSO: Injured football player returns home for short visit — to watch a game
Abercrombie's family started a GoFundMe account to cover the cost of his rehab.
About the Author
