It’s been a bad year for Fermanagh man Mark McGovern. After embarking on a J1 summer visa to San Francisco last summer, the 23-year-old ended up in a coma after an off-the-ball attack during a gaelic football game in late June.
As his parents Danny and Josie, sisters Grace, Connie and Helen and girlfriend Jessica rushed to his side, doctors gave a less than hopeful prognosis.
“The kind of injury that Mark has was deep inside the brain. It's the kind of injury that we see when someone has had a high speed motor vehicle accident, like crashing at 60-miles an hour and the car rolls over,” Professor Shirley Stiver, a neurosurgeon at San Francisco General Hospital told the BBC.
Mark made a miraculous recovery. He is now back home with his family in the Fermanagh village of Belcoo, after a mammoth 18-day journey by land and sea. He reflected on the serious head injuries he sustained.
"I was nearly killed, really, when you think about it. The person who did this should be got for trying to kill me," he told the Impartial Reporter.
However, Mark, says his strong faith is something that is "very important" to him, and that he has no bitterness towards the person.
"I don't hate him, I forgive him. If I was with him now I'd ask him, why? Why do this to me? I do forgive him though. I have nothing but forgiveness for the person who assaulted me as I actually feel sorry for him to have carried out such an horrible attack.
"I'm in a much better position than he is now, but I'd be lying to say I have forgotten about the whole ordeal because I still get a bit down - it just hasn't set in my head yet."
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READ MORE:
GAA player Mark McGovern thankful of second chance after critical injury
Mark McGovern completes 18-day journey back to Ireland
Finding loved ones before Christmas after decades apart
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Reflecting on his life this time last year, he admits life his daily existence has dramatically changed since the accident.
"I had a job, I was going out at the weekend, I was able to buy presents. I can't do much of that this year, and I am around the house a lot. Things definitely aren't the same," he said.
Talking about his remarkable recover, he says it would not have been possible without his family and his beloved girlfriend Jessica.
"She was the first in and I was in tears because I was not fit to do anything. It was then she started to get me talking, and for that I will be forever grateful to my Jessica. Only for her I believe I may not have been home until this December rather then October. She really was my shoulder I could lean on during that time and still is. My family have been very good to me from the start; they have been looking after me well. I am very grateful, of course I am," he said.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.wilhoef | Dec 25, 2011, 11:06 PM EST
Regarding my previous comment, I apologize for misspelling your name. It should be Colkelley, not Colkenny.
wilhoef | Dec 25, 2011, 02:42 PM EST
Colkenny, your post is very troubling. I coached Soccer at the Youth, High School, and College levels for over 25 years and I NEVER encountered the type of behavior you describe. To call it "not uncommon" is a bit over the top. I must believe that your comments are true at least as far as you believe. I would only say that there were avenues for you to have your concerns addressed by the appropriate authorities. Unfortunately, in today's "win at all cost" environment, there probably are coaches who would encourage this type of behavior just to WIN or intimidate the other team and there are Referees who do not see these acts during the game and may even be ignoring them, but you had recourse to this type of behavior and only have yourself to blame for not doing something. You should have gone to your Son's League and the Referees Association post haste. If either of them was non-responsive to video evidence, then I would say it is time to visit the Police as you yourself suggest. What you describe has no place in sports. If you did nothing just to preserve your Son's position on the team when you could have pulled him off the team, then you are culpable as well. I truly hope your Son is doing fine. Merry Christmas.
colkelley | Dec 25, 2011, 09:54 AM EST
Unfortunately this is not uncommon in American soccer. My son made the transition from never having played soccer at age 13 to being on the State Olympic Development Team by age 16 and I cannot count the number of times that players FOLLOWING THEIR COACHES ORDERS either tried to spear him in the head or slide tackle with a foot to the knee. While he played he suffered a complete dislocation of the right knee (off the ball), knocked out with an elbow to the head (off the ball) and an evulsion fracture of the left tibia (retaliation). NONE of these offenses earned the other players a red card or even a yellow card. Look to the coaches because they are the source of these violent and dangerous player actions. These violent acts - if video evidence is available - should be taken to local law enforcement and pursued as felony assault because the Leagues (even when presented video evidence) do absolutely nothing to discourage or limit the violent players. Violence is substituted for talent.