High school football player with neck injury dies

The family of a Winnipeg high school football player is mourning his death following a severe neck injury he sustained in a game earlier this month.

Darius Hartshorne died early Thursday morning, 12 days after undergoing an emergency medical procedure that included a spinal fusion and decompression of his vertebrae.

“He went in peace,” Jesse Ciaralli, who helped raise Hartshorne and his four younger siblings with his wife Stephanie, told the Free Press by text. “He was with myself and my wife. His siblings and baby cousins got to see him and share some laughs one last time. He died with honour and dignity.”

Hartshorne, a Grade 12 lineman for the Sisler Spartans, turned 17 on Saturday.

He was rushed to Health Sciences Centre by paramedics for an immediate procedure on Oct. 17 and later placed in intensive care after colliding awkwardly with a player of the Tec Voc Hornets on the game’s opening kickoff.

“His name will live on,” Jesse said. “He may not be with us physically, but he will be walking with us spiritually every step for the remainder of our lives. He was an amazing boy, and my wife is broken, my kids are broken — I’m staying strong, as dads need to keep the super hero cape on at all times, but even with that strength, I am broken.”

Doctors believed Hartshorne would be paralyzed from the neck down following surgery, but that proved to be the least of their concerns as he remained attached to a ventilator as they waited for swelling to subside.

Hartshorne spiked a fever and was put into an induced coma last week. The fever did extensive damage to multiple organs, including his brain.

Earlier this week, he was no longer in a coma or under sedation, but struggled to wake up again.

“God called him home far too soon, but his memory and spirit will forever live on in each of us whose lives he touched,” Stephanie wrote in a Facebook post early Thursday morning.

Hartshorne was a dedicated volunteer with the North Winnipeg Nomads Football Club. He coached younger players and prepared food for home games, among other duties. Stephanie noted his “vibrant personality,” humour and “boundless kindness” in her emotional post.

“You brought light into every room and left a lasting mark on every heart,” she wrote. “Though your time here was far too short, the love you gave will live on in all of us.

“I love you, Dee, with all my heart from your first breath to your last. I’ll forever hold you in my heart.”

An outpouring of support for the Ciarallis has come from all corners of Winnipeg’s football community and beyond in the days and weeks following the incident. The Spartans wore decals on their helmets in their lone playoff game that featured Hartshorne’s jersey number 57, while Winnipeg Blue Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller had been in contact with the family and had planned to visit Hartshorne in the hospital.

A GoFundMe to help the Ciarallis with costs — including hospital parking, travel and future expenses — has raised more than $50,000.

“Appreciate the love and support always, hold your loved ones close and live every day like it’s your last,” Jesse said.

Hartshorne was also mourned inside City Hall on Thursday as Coun. Vivian Santos offered her condolences to the family, friends and teammates. Santos noted Hartshorne’s strength, kindness and “the way he showed up for others.”

“May Dee’s memory continue to inspire kindness, unity and love within our community,” she said.

Inside the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, opposition leader Obby Khan grew emotional as he put politics aside for a few moments to recognize Hartshorne in what he called “a deeply personal matter.”

“I’ve had friends who have passed away doing what they love,” said Khan, who played nine seasons in the Canadian Football League.

“Sad to see a life taken so soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, your family, your loved ones, classmates and everyone at Sisler. May you rest in peace, Darius. Doing something you love, playing a sport — it’s one of the hardest things you can go through and, as a parent, my heart breaks for you.”

Premier Wab Kinew also offered his condolences to Hartshorne’s family.

“All of us as Manitobans spend so much of our lives around the field, the rink, the diamond, and where so many of the good times happen,” Kinew said. “When you have something like this, it really pulls at the heartstrings.”

The Winnipeg School Division also extended its condolences in a news release, adding that clinical support services will be available at Sisler to support his teammates and the many teachers, staff and students in the school community.

The Winnipeg High School Football League cancelled Thursday afternoon’s playoff contest between Tec Voc and Elmwood. The evening game between West Kildonan and Springfield going forward as scheduled.

» Winnipeg Free Press, with files from Gabrielle Piché