Photo By Heather Rudow Kevin Starkey practices during Tristar Martial Arts Academy’s Black Belt class April 27. He and many of his classmates have helped raise money for 14-year-old Zachary Gallagher, a Tristar student who was seriously injured during a sledding accident.
Posted: Tuesday, May 3, 2011 10:00 am | Updated: 3:11 pm, Mon May 2, 2011.
The members of Tristar Martial Arts Academy's spring Black Belt class knew they had to help someone in the South Carroll area to complete the Community Commitment portion of their curriculum, but they never imagined it would be a fellow classmate.
Co-owner Keith Thompson said the entire academy was shocked this past January when 14-year-old Zachary Gallagher was rushed to Carroll Hospital Center after his head hit a rock during a sledding accident.
"Zachary's been coming here a long time," he said. "He's a phenomenal student and a super guy."
Zachary's mother, Tracey, said he suffered a fracture in his right temporal lobe as well as a contusion on the right side of his brain. She said the last three months have not been easy for her son.
"In order to properly heal he can't talk or chew," Tracey said. "He's improving, but it's going to be a long road for him to get back to normal."
In the beginning, she said, bright lights and noises were painful for him, so he spent a lot of his time sitting in the dark. These days he is able to read for up to 40 minutes without too much difficulty, but Tracey said it will be a long time before he's able to come back to Tristar, a place he's practiced since was 4½ But Tristar's members have not forgotten about Zachary. Along with soliciting monetary donations during testing events and practices, the academy's black belt class held a bake sale to raise funds for Zachary's medical bills. Since the accident the academy has donated more than $7,100 to the Gallagher family. The money was greatly needed and appreciated, Tracey said, as until recently, the family did not have any insurance.
And, along with visiting and sending cards, Thompson said, the academy has set up web cams in the studio so Zachary could watch demo team events, a team he's been on for the last four years.
Tracey said she and her husband cannot put into words how grateful they are for all of the support they have received from the academy.
"When they found out Zachary was hurt, it was as if they were family and they wanted to help," she said. "Even people we didn't really know. It's just so overwhelming, a wonderful, overwhelming feeling. When you're at Tristar, you're a part of the Tristar family."
Black belt classmate Kevin Starkey has been comin g to Tristar with his son Connor for the last four years, and though he only knew Zachary a little, he said as a father and a member of the Tri star family, he knew he had to contribute money to the cause.
"It touched home," he said. "I couldn't imagine that happening to a kid, who was just being a kid. He was just sledding, not riding a motorcycle with his helmet off."
Black Belt classmate Kaitlyn Johnson baked scones for the bake sale, and she said every member of Tristar is like an adopted sibling, no matter how well you know him.
"We knew we needed to help in some way," she said, "because with Tristar we're one big family."
Although he is only able to write down things he wants to say, Tracey said, Zachary tells her all the time how much he misses being at Tristar. She said the family is looking forward to May 5, when a neurologist will be able to give Zachary a timetable as to when he can think about coming back. She said she believes Zachary's martial arts training has helped him improve and also not sustain permanent damage from the accident.
"Even one of the doctors said from the very beginning that the martial arts helped with his body [being strong]," Tracey said. "Plus with the recovery, the Black Belt creed talks about restraint, self control ... [the idea] that nothing can knock you down. It's remarkable."
