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Lauderdale Lakes BREEZE Summer 2019 • Third Edition
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Local teen lifted up by community Michael Lois thanks those who supported him during recovery by Heather Ruenz STAFF WRITER
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ept. 16, 2018, is a day Michael Lois and his parents will never forget. That’s the day Michael, of Elkhorn, who was 16 at the time, suffered an accident while jumping into a friend’s 4-foot deep pool, striking his head, neck and shoulder on the pool floor. Shortly after the accident, Michael explained, as soon as his head hit the bottom, everything stopped and time slowed down. He couldn’t move his left leg, so he struggled to get his head out of the water. But when he did, he yelled for help. His friends got him out and he ended up at Children’s Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery followed by months of physical therapy. Fast-forward nine months, and despite the odds, Michael has recovered and the 2020 University of Iowa commit still plans to play football. “Other than no contact, I’m clear. I finished physical therapy and the weight restrictions have been lifted,” he said in a recent interview. The focus of that interview was by and large about something else the Lois family won’t forget: how many people supported them during this trying time in their lives. “After the accident I got really
frustrated and lost my faith. But eventually I accepted that maybe I wasn’t put on this earth to play football and be entertaining,” Michael said. “Maybe I’m here to inspire people, and that’s what I want to do.” He will attend Iowa whether he plays football or not and plans to head there after he graduates in December from Elkhorn Area High School. “I’ll officially sign with the Hawkeyes in December, but I also want to get there as soon as I can. Part of it is just to get going on the next step, but I also want to get there to get involved with the Children’s Hospital there, which faces the football stadium,” Michael said. In September, one year after his accident, Michael hopes to get the all clear from his doctors.
Dreams haven’t changed Michael’s parents, Matt and Hayley, fully support his future plans. “As a parent you always want to protect your children. But Michael loves football so much and wants to be on the field. It’s as simple as that,” Hayley said. Hayley said she would never forget seeing her son at the hospital, with pain and tingling in his hands and arms. “He didn’t want us to touch him and insisted on doing things
himself. He was very determined and he kept me and my husband strong throughout it, that’s for sure,” she said. Michael said he didn’t always feel strong. For example, when he started physical therapy in the hospital, he said the pain was so bad he would pass out. Though there’s always a risk of injury, Hayley said the doctors told them that Michael is not any higher of a risk than anyone else. “I asked if the bone grows back as strong and the doctor said it grows back as strong, if not stronger than before,” Hayley said. Michael, who always has planned to major in sports studies at college, which could include personal training, coaching and so on, said he has clear goals. “I’ve been working on kicking because you never know. I plan to play, but if I can’t – or even if I can – I want to coach some day,” he said. Speaking of coaches, the Lois family said the Elkhorn Area High School and Iowa coaches have been supportive all along. “Part of the reason we chose Iowa is because it truly felt like a family to us. And since the accident, even more so,” Hayley said. In an effort to regain his strength, Michael has been training at Next Level in Waukesha. “They work with your physical therapist to work around and within your injury. I’ve definitely gotten a lot stronger there and gained a lot of muscle plus some of the weight DAVE DRESDOW Lauderdale Lakes Breeze back on,” he said. Michael Lois, who will be a senior at Elkhorn Area High School in the fall, has recovered from a serious pool accident in which he
Never gave up
broke his neck.
If he wasn’t going to pursue football, Michael said his other dream was to become a Navy Seal. “Their motto, ‘the only easy day was yesterday,’ was always in the back of my mind. That’s why I
never panicked,” he said. Michael said he has tried to keep busy by lifting weights and working out, and his friends helped him keep his mind off things. He
also has stayed in close contact with other Iowa recruits before and since his accident. “They’ve also been a great group throughout this,” he said. Hayley said his friends and people in the community have been more supportive than she can put into words. “So many of his friends came up to Milwaukee to see him at the hospital. That really meant a lot to him and us. And the people who have reached out to us all along, to check in, let us know they’re still
See MICHAEL LOIS • Page 2
Lauderdale Lakes
BREEZE A publication of Southern Lakes Newspapers LLC
HEATHER RUENZ Lauderdale Lakes Breeze
SUBMITTED PHOTO Lauderdale Lakes Breeze
Left; Iowa Hawkeyes commit Michael Lois still plans to play football and said the support he’s received from family, friends and the community, has helped him throughout his recovery. Above; His mom, Hayley, said the family’s faith has played a big role in Michael’s recovery.
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