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Humboldt Broncos

There has been an outpouring of support for victims of the Humboldt bus crash that resulted in 15 deaths and 14 more injuries. Ryan Straschnitzki is suffering through the trauma of that crash, which doctors say will likely leave him unable to play hockey again and may result in Straschnitzki being unable to walk, though that is unclear, according to CBC.

Ryan, however, will continue to play sledge hockey no matter the outcome, per the Calgary Herald.

A few hours after the crash, Ryan's parents -- Michelle and Tom -- received a phone call telling them that Ryan was still alive. The phone call offered up little information, but for the time being, it was enough.

"We were really grateful just to hear that," Michelle told The National's Susan Ormiston in an interview. "Not knowing what the road ahead was going to be like. But we were very grateful."

Later that night, Ryan called his parents from the hospital, and they went to visit him. After some time passed, Ryan's parents gleaned more about his experience.

"He didn't think he was going to make it," Michelle said, via CBC. "The crash was so devastating the boys were lying on the pavement just waiting for the first responders. He couldn't move so he didn't know what to do."

Michelle added that Ryan is still going through a lot of emotions, "like survivors' guilt, and just the absolute devastating loss of it all. They're all brothers." 

"He keeps wanting to try and move his legs, of course, because he wants to go back skating," Tom added, per the Calgary Herald. "He just looked at me and his mother and he goes, 'well, I'm gonna get onto the Olympic sledge hockey team.'

"He's an amazing kid, that boy."

Teams and cities have bonded to pay tribute to Humboldt, with the Bruins announcing fundraising plans and the CN Tower in Toronto lighting up Broncos' colors leading up to the playoffs.

The fallout of the crash will continue to hang over the hockey world, but for Ryan, the only way is forward. As Michelle explained: "We're trying to explain to him that ... it's going to be a different path but it's going to be a good path. It doesn't matter what it is because he's still the same person."