Words of Strength From Stow

By Nick Ostiller

The Giants and the Dodgers played each other last week in Los Angeles in what would be the final meeting of 2011 between the two rivals. However, the focus of the game was not on the rivalry, nor was it about the Dodgers' bankruptcy woes. The game was not even about how the Giants were on their way to missing the playoffs just a year after winning the World Series. No, this game was about Bryan Stow.

The Santa Cruz paramedic and longtime Giants fan who was severely beaten by two assailants at Dodger Stadium on March 31 when the Giants were playing the Dodgers on Opening Day, spoke for the first time since the tragic incident. Stow's family had spent the past six months praying and hoping for his recovery.

With the help of a speech therapist and a speaking valve, Stow was able to state his first and last name, his birthday and the names of his children. He told his sister, Erin, that he loved her. And when Stow was shown photos of his children, he responded, "I would like to see them."

It was truly an inspirational turn of events, considering that in July, it was feared that Stow might never return from a vegetative state. The 42-year-old father of two suffered a skull fracture and bruising to the frontal lobe of his brain when he was assaulted back in March. Stow was wearing Giants apparel when he was attacked.

What happened to Stow highlighted an increasing problem in sports: fans crossing the line in terms of interacting with fans of the opposing team. During a recent preseason Raiders-49ers game, there was a huge brawl in the stands and two fans were shot in the parking lot afterwards. Sporting events are meant to allow the fans' pride for their team to flourish. Of course, playful banter between fans of opposing teams is a part of sports, but only to a certain extent. So-called "trash-talking" should remain verbal, and never physical.

Stow was a major victim of unwarranted, physical fan violence, and it is miraculous that he has overcome so much. Doctors were forced to put Stow into a medically induced coma after the incident, and whenever it seemed as if his fortunes were looking up, the doctors would relieve the sedation only to watch Stow regress into involuntary seizures. This pattern of steps forward, followed by steps back, was the theme of his recovery process. Now, following this immense step forward, family members and everybody else following his case hope there will be no more setbacks.

Soon after the speech breakthrough, medical staff cleared Stow to be taken outside for the first time in months. According to his family's blog, Stow was moved last Friday to a cardiac chair in a secluded patio. When asked how he felt, Stow, sitting in the sun with his eyes closed, said, "it's magical."