NEW PALESTINE — A Doe Creek Middle School seventh-grader is back home after spending three days in the hospital following an injury he suffered at wrestling practice.
The teen was hurt at practice Monday when a wrestler from a higher weight class fell on his chest while they were wrestling, the boy’s father, Larry Hall said.
Hall said his son stayed at practice and thought he was feeling OK, but the pain in his ribs triggered a severe asthma attack later that evening. The boy gave himself a breathing treatment, but the medicine didn’t help, and he lost consciousness, his father said.
He was first taken to Community Hospital East Monday night, then transferred to Riley Hospital for Children, where doctors were able to help ease his breathing. He has a severely bruised rib cage, and the pain it causes when he breathes set off his asthma, his father said.
The boy was released from the hospital Thursday evening. He’s expected to return to school next week, Hall said.
School officials said members of the wrestling team were being properly supervised Monday by wrestling coach Steve Parry. Principal Jim Voelz said he spoke with Parry after the boy was hurt but does not plan to discipline the coach.
Hall said he and his wife are not upset with school officials and don’t blame the coach for their son’s accident. Hall added his son often likes to challenge himself and enjoys wrestling bigger athletes.
“There are no hard feelings at all with the school,” he said. “It was just difficult seeing your son hurting like that.”
Voelz said students get hurt in practice and during athletics events more than he likes. However, after talking with the wrestling coach and the boy’s parents, Voelz said he believed the incident was just an unfortunate accident.
