Elk River teen paralyzed in car crash meets Minnesota Wild's Jared Spurgeon
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A teen facing a tough road to recovery following a tragic crash got a superstar surprise on Thursday.
Charles Gabrelcik was paralyzed from the waist down after surviving the crash in July that killed two of his friends, Anthony Krider and Donovan Gobel.
The high school athlete from Elk River is at Gillette Children's in St. Paul working to regain movement in his upper body.
Gabrelcik's a huge Minnesota Wild fan, so it was a dream pick-me-up when Wild captain Jared Spurgeon unexpectedly dropped in on him.
"It was wonderful," said Annie Gabrelcik, Charles Gabrelcik's mother. "Just that smile on his face."
Gabrelcik's parents were ecstatic when they learned of the surprise. Terry Gabrelcik, Charles Gabrelcik's father, knew it would brighten his day.
"He's very dedicated to his therapy," Terry Gabrelcik said. "He's working his butt off just like he did in sports with football and hockey."
Annie Gabrelcik says her son is her hero.
"For everything that he's gone through, being as positive as he is, it's amazing," Terry Gabrelcik said.
Spurgeon brought Nordy, the Wild team mascot, along with him. They took plenty of pictures with Gabrelcik with both an autographed Spurgeon jersey, as well as an Elk River one signed by Gabrelcik's friends and teammates.
It was a special moment for Spurgeon as much as it was for the Gabrelcik family.
"Just trying to change the day around for the people that are in here," Spurgeon said. "We're here to get to know them and see how special they are as well."
Shannon Wier is a child life specialist at Gillette who works with Charles Gabrelcik.
"It's really rewarding when you have someone take time out of their busy schedule to come in and actually visit," she said.
There are still hurdles to clear, but Charles Gabrelcik is hoping to leave the hospital in December.
"I know with his failure-is-not-an-option attitude, he'll get there," his father said.
Spurgeon spoke a bit about the future with Charles Gabrelcik, specifically next June, saying he'd like to visit again but the next time with a big trophy named Stanley.
Charles Gabrelcik spoke for all Wild fans when he said, "That would be sweet."