Freshman football player Bryce Hanson overcomes game injury, fuels recovery with community support

DIETRICH, Idaho — On a Friday night in late September of this year, the Dietrich football team took on Richland. It was a battle of two teams from small Idaho towns with big hearts.

During the game, 14-year-old Dietrich freshman Bryce Hanson was severely injured during a play.

“I got pushed in the back into my own player and my head hit his hip and my neck folded,” Bryce said. “I remember the whole thing. I was laying on the ground, my coach came over and asked me what was wrong.”

Bryce’s mom, Denise Hanson, was in the stands watching her boy play that night.

“I actually missed the play. All I saw was a kid laying down,” said Denise Hanson. “Then, I noticed that it was my son.”

Bryce, number 80 on the team, was hurt, and it didn’t look good.

“They got me on the gurney to get me over to the ambulance,” said Bryce.

He was rushed to the hospital in Gooding, Idaho. That’s when Bryce’s parents found out how serious this was. Bryce broke his neck in two places, and he injured his spine.

“I broke C4 and C5 and had a ligament displacement in C6 and C7,” said Bryce.

Denise says things moved quickly after that.

“About ten minutes later the nurse came in and said, ‘Hey, the helicopter will be here in ten minutes. We’re flying you out to St. Luke’s,'” said Denise. “When we got there, you walk into this trauma room and you have fifteen doctors that are all just like, go! It was terrifying.”

At St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise, Bryce had surgery to try to repair the damage to his neck and spine. There were so many questions about his prognosis, and he knew his journey to recover was just beginning.

“You know, when you are in that position you are down, you are not really happy. It’s really hard,” said Bryce.

Bryce says what kept his spirits up were the visits he had with his big, loving family.

“I have six siblings,” said Bryce. “It was just a good feeling to have everyone there. I think that’s what kept me going, all the support.”

He also got a visit from his football team. They brought him a jersey that he hung proudly above his hospital bed.

“When the team came, it was really nice because I was able to see my friends and I was able to see the support behind me. I was able to keep pushing from that, and I think that’s what helped me to stay strong,” said Bryce.

Once he was stable at St. Luke’s in Boise, Bryce was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in Utah to work with some of the best physical and occupational therapists in the nation.

“The therapy is what really kicked my butt, and I was frustrated that I couldn’t do what I used to do,” said Bryce. “Going from where I was, being so active and super athletic, to not being able to move and control my body. It was hard to go through that.”

Bryce worked hard each day. His mom was so proud of his will to get stronger. He had to learn to move his body and walk again.

“He has always been determined, always, since he was a little boy. He’s pushed through everything hard. He always wants to be the best,” said Denise.

Bryce is a big Boise State football fan, and when head coach Spencer Danielson heard about what happened, he wanted to surprise him with a FaceTime call.

“My mom asked me if I knew who Spencer Danielson is, and I was like, of course, yeah, he’s the coach of Boise State,” said Bryce. “Then her phone rings and she answers it and I’m like, holy crap, it’s Coach D!”

He was so excited, and a little bit starstruck, too. Coach Danielson encouraged him in a huge way, and it meant the world.

“It’s not every day you get to talk to the coach of Boise State Football,” said Bryce with a smile. “It was just cool that he cared enough to do that for me and it was really nice of him.”

Bryce worked on getting stronger each day and was released from Primary Children’s Hospital just in time for Halloween. The doctors, nurses and therapists lined the halls to celebrate him walking out on his own two feet.

Coming home to Idaho felt so good, and the outpouring of community love was overwhelming. His mom shared his story on social media, and support came in from all over the country, too.

“I knew I had a lot of support from my town in Dietrich and the communities around Shoshone, Richfield and Carey, but I didn’t know it would go that far, so I was really surprised about how many people really cared that much.”

Now, Bryce and his mom are back in Utah for more intensive therapy for Bryce.

“There’s this place in Sandy, Utah, called Neuroworks, and we decided to go up there because they specialize in spinal cord injuries and stuff like that,” said Bryce. “I have pretty much all movement back. I just don’t have as much control over the movement. We are hoping that I can regain the movement I had, the fine motor skills.”

His mom and dad are so proud of his positive attitude and his motivation to heal, even on the hard days.

“Yeah, it’s been hard and he’s had his struggles. We’ve all had our struggles with it, but throughout this whole process he has never lost his faith, he has never lost his love, he has never lost his sense of humor,” said Denise. “My husband and I keep saying that he’s our hero. He says, ‘I’m not that special,’ and we say, ‘You are though.'”

The Hanson family made sure to get to a Boise State game on the blue this season. Bryce says it inspired him to keep working.

“I want to be active like I was before,” said Bryce. “My goal is to get back to my normal, being active all the time, playing sports.”

This determined young man is on his way, and he says he couldn’t have done it alone.

“My family, my friends, the community, everyone being there for me and just seeing everything they have done, yeah, it just keeps me going,” said Bryce. “I just want to say thanks to everyone. I don’t think they have any idea what they have done for me.”

Bryce is looking forward to being home in Idaho with his family and friends full time in the new year.