Cormick Scanlan: Rising Minnesota hockey player, 16, dies on Christmas after suffering series of strokes
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA: A rising 16-year-old Minnesota hockey player tragically died on Christmas after suffering a series of fatal strokes. Cormick Scanlan, a sophomore at Cretin-Derham Hall, died on Sunday, December 25 in a St Paul hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery in an attempt to save his life, the St Paul Capitals Hockey Association said in a Facebook post.
The association paid a moving tribute to the rising player and said "our hockey community has lost a great young man." They also noted that Scanlan died 'peacefully' and 'surrounded by family.' The teen had suffered an initial stroke on December 6 and had been hospitalized since. He was later diagnosed with moyamoya disease, which Mayo Clinic describes as a rare blood vessel disorder in which an artery in the skull becomes blocked or narrowed.
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"He had bypass surgery on Thursday the 15th to repair the left side carotid artery with blood vessels from his head. Sadly, he suffered additional strokes thereafter," the hockey club said. This year, Cormick played for Cretin Derham Hall, while last year he was a part of the Capitals. "This is a kid who lived what we talk about every day,' coach Derek Weinke told KMSP-TV. 'The values of selflessness, of hard work, integrity... these are all things that this young man had."
Cormick's teammates were desperately praying for his wellness. They even affixed their helmets with stickers commemorating his No 17 jersey number after he suffered the initial stroke. Before his surgery, students and hockey players at CDH even shaved their heads in solidarity with Cormick. "We kind of thought, 'Hey now we know what it is, they're going to do this procedure and he's going to battle back,'' said Weinke. "We don't know what it's going to look like on the other side, but it's Cormick, he's going to battle through this, and then things took a turn, and then it got worse."
In the most recent post on a CaringBridge site for Cormick, his mother Heather wrote, "There is something beautiful about him starting his heavenly journey on Christmas. We are thankful for the time Mick granted family and friends to visit one last time... Words cannot express how much joy Cormick brought his family. We are heartbroken."
Following Scanlan's tragic death, Cretin-Derham Hall also issued a statement, in which they described him as an "outstanding student" and "bright young man," who "impacted so many." “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Mick, yet our faith makes us confident that he is in the loving arms of Jesus. As a community, we stand alongside his family and friends as we all mourn the loss of this bright young man who has impacted so many,” reflected president Frank Miley.