Nick Prefontaine survives and thrives
By Shelly Schweizer Contributing Writer

Nick Prefontaine PHOTO/COURTESY OF FRANCISCAN CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Shrewsbury - Five years ago, a single moment on a cold winter day on Wachusett Mountain forever changed the life of Nick Prefontaine. As the 13- year-old snowboarder hit a 15-foot jump, the edge of his board got caught - and then, darkness.

The next three weeks of his life were a blur. After being rushed to UMass Medical Center in Worcester, his family was told that Prefontaine had suffered extensive head injuries and might not live. After the doctors induced a coma to avoid fur- ther brain swelling and even more serious complications, he was stabilized and moved to Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston, where he spent the next two months recovering. Prefontaine had to learn how to swallow, walk and talk again.

From the beginning of his journey back, Prefontaine kept his eyes on the prize - to get out of the hospital.

"Throughout the whole process, all I did was think, 'What's the next step? What do I have to do to get out of the hospital?' I was very determined," said Prefontaine, now 18 and a graduate of St. John's High School. "I was very goal-oriented. I still am."

Prefontaine's determination and strong spirit will be recognized this month when he's awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the Franciscan Hospital for Children at their Community Leadership Award dinner Thursday Sept. 20 in Boston.

In fact, Prefontaine previously won the award in 2005. The hospital is honoring the recipients of the awards over the past five years to celebrate their successful recoveries.

"I'm greatly honored," Prefontaine said. "There are so many other patients out there that have done well. It's just a great thing they do over there. They do a great job. That's why we continue to support them."

Grateful for his miraculous recovery, Prefontaine and his parents, Chris and Kim, established the Prefontaine Family Foundation in March 2005, which provides support to Franciscan Hospital for Children.

"They're such a great people over there - the nurses, the therapists. They do a great job, constantly improving, trying to improve the facility. I wouldn't be here if they didn't do such a great job," he said.

Prefontaine is active in the family foundation, making personal thank-you calls to every donor and working at Franciscan Children's Hospital one day a week, where he's currently organizing the family foundation's golf tournament to benefit the hospital, which will be held Thursday Sept. 27.

His experience matured him faster, he said, and a lot of the typical teenage worries dissolved for him after the accident. Prefontaine's already figured some stuff out, like what he wants to do with his life. After graduation, he joined the family's business, developing real estate and running a Glazer Kennedy Insiders Circle, a marketing group for small business owners. He also speaks to groups about his experiences.

As difficult as his recovery was, Prefontaine said that his accident changed him in positive ways.

"I don't t know if I didn't appreciate life but I appreciate things a lot more," he said. "I wake up in the morning and take a deep breath and say, 'It's a good day to be alive.'"