A devastating in-game collision has left Finnish hockey player Sanni Hakala paralyzed from her chest down and has reduced function in her arms and hands. The two-time Olympic medalist sustained injuries on Friday, November 24, 2023, during a game against Djurgårdens in Sweden.
She suffered a neck injury when she and another player collided, sending her crashing head-first into the goalpost during the first period. In the video, she can be seen not moving after the nasty blow. She was taken off the ice on a stretcher and the game was postponed.
The 26-year-old star was initially taken to a nearby hospital before being transported to University Hospital in Linköping. There, she had to undergo surgery.
“It is still hard to understand what has happened, that the crash into the goal post was as serious as it was, that the consequences have become so big,” Sanni posted on Instagram. “Not only that I am forced to stop playing hockey, something that has been a big part of my life for many years, but that I may be forced to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life."
More from LittleThings: Mom Paralyzed From The Chest Down Gives Birth To Baby That May Have Caused Her Disability
“The injury I sustained last Friday after colliding with the goal post has left me paralyzed from the chest down, with reduced function in my arms and hands," she said. "That’s the reality I’m trying to land in.”
