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Ryan’s Quick Road To Recovery Helped Him Play Baseball Again

“Take me back to the night of the accident and what you remember? All I remember is leaving my girlfriend’s house and then I woke up in the hospital...

"Take me back to the night of the accident and what you remember? All I remember is leaving my girlfriend's house and then I woke up in the hospital. They told me we turned and tried to get into Boyer's Food Market. We we're picking up some rolls and got t-boned by a truck and that's all I remember," said Ryan Cappel.

It was December 21st, 2016 and Marian Catholic baseball player Ryan Cappel was just involved in a 2 car crash on RT. 61 and South Liberty street in Orwigsburg Schuylkill County. Ryan's girlfriend drove the car Ryan was in. She sustained a head injury while Ryan was life-flighted to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville where he was held in the Intensive Care Unit for 16 days.

"It was really tough. We had to go through seven surgeries on my leg over the course of like 18 days, but my team was there you know football team and the baseball team coaches we're there," again said Ryan.

Tony Radocha is the Marian Catholic head baseball coach.

"Obviously he was in ICU for over a month. He laying there and not moving. He had to learn to walk all over again let along walk and run. He basically had to learn everything all over again. He had to learn to use his arms to feed himself to just take the slightest steps, and then to be able to sprint in any manner. So basically at 17 years he was learning life again," said Tony.

Ryan sustained damage to his spleen and his leg. Doctors said no sports for at least a year including no baseball in the spring. Ryan fought and defied the odds.

"It's the best feeling in the world is playing baseball. They said it would take a year before sports, and six months to walk then nine months to run, and I was walking in one and running in 1 1/2 and back to sports in two. So it feels really great to be back here," added Ryan.

"A couple of months ago to be laying in ICU, and to be now an everyday starter on a high-school baseball team is truly amazing," added Tony.

Right now Ryan is playing first base and DH for the Colts. His arm strength isn't quite there after missing all of the winter workouts but come playoff time Ryan hopes to be back on the bump full-time.

"Ah!! Just keep fighting. Never give up. Not matter what they tell you or what the situation is you just have to keep going and having family and friends behind you is the best thing going," again said Ryan.

Steve Lloyd reporting for Newswatch 16 sports from Schuylkill County.

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