Critical patient, Mason Hansen, makes miraculous recovery and performs opening pitch
Aug 6, 2023, 2:17 PM
The Bees' mascot hugs and kisses Mason Hansen after he performs the game's first pitch. (University of Utah)
(University of Utah)
SALT LAKE CITY — A moment of history for Mason Hansen was celebrated at The Salt Lake Bee’s game on Saturday evening when he threw the first pitch. It was the one year anniversary that Hansen suffered intensely from a stroke last year after just graduating from high school.
On an evening in July of 2022, Hansen’s mom, Melissa woke him up for work.
“The next thing I knew, we heard a bang on the wall downstairs. We went down to get him and he seemed to be having a seizure,” she said.
Mason Hansen was taken to the hospital immediately where they treated him for six hours for seizure and then was determined he was having a stroke. After the stroke, he had several blood clots in his brain and it required them removing parts of his skull to treat.
At that point, to add to the chaos and difficulty for the whole family, Hansen was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was put on a ventilator. He was unable to sit, stand, walk, eat or talk.
Hansen bravely survived the trauma and as his mom described it, worked hard to achieve his goals in extensive therapy afterwards at the University of Utah Health Craig. H Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital. Hansen’s mom, Melissa, described his experience there as extremely positive.
“He wanted to go [to therapy]. He desired to live and work hard and progress every day.”
Hansen was a baseball player in high school and loved the sport as a child. When he was in the hospital, they made arrangements to let him come to a Bee’s baseball game. He and his family attended with him in a wheelchair. Hansen moved the hearts of the entire stadium, the staff at the U of U and all over the Salt Lake Valley as he
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“Emotions were high coming back today. It’s a really good feeling being here and him walking out there,” said his mom, Melissa. “Thanks to everybody at the University of Utah and everyone that’s helped us along our path,” she said. “We love you all.”
