The parents of a teenage Canadian ice hockey player who was paralysed after the team bus was involved in a serious crash are preparing to bring their son home.
Ryan Straschnitzki is undergoing physiotherapy at the Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia after being paralysed from the chest down in a crash in rural Saskatchewan, Canada, in April.
The 19-year-old is expected to return home to Airdrie, just north of Calgary, in a matter of weeks.
His father, Tom Straschnitzki, says he has already gone through six training programs on how to care for his son once he is no longer under the constant watchful eye of medical personnel.
"It's scary. Hopefully we'll know what to do and they've trained us pretty good."
Sixteen people died, including 10 players from the Humboldt Broncos, while 13 others were injured as a result of bus crash.
Tom Straschnitzki says the family home is about to be renovated to accommodate his son: an elevator is being installed, walls are being knocked down, doorways widened and bathrooms adapted.
"It's daunting," he said. "It's a lot of work, like building a brand new house."
Australian Associated Press
