Sixteen-year-old Isaiah Turner is on a journey of healing.

He’s been back at Annandale High School for two days now, gamely walking from class to class, aided by a pair of crutches.

“I’m pretty good, my legs are getting a lot more mobile,” he says. “It’s kind of nice to see all my friends here and be able to just be around people. Haven’t been around since the injury happened.”

During a game on Oct. 11, Isaiah, a running back on the Annandale Cardinals football team, suffered a major leg injury when he was tackled.

“It was a run play, and he got hit and he was down for a little bit. Saw him lying on the ground,” recalls Quarterback Michael Kovall.

“It was pretty crazy, and it was scary, too, because we’d never seen anything like it. It was just so serious. We had no clue at the time.”  

At first, it appeared to be a relatively minor injury.

But soon after, Isaiah’s right leg began swelling and the condition was later diagnosed as Compartment Syndrome, a painful condition caused by pressure from internal bleeding.

The injury required six surgeries over the course of 12 days to remove damaged muscle tissue.

Matt Walter, the team’s head coach, says he had never seen an injury like this in his 25 years of coaching Cardinals football.  

“I didn’t think you could ever get injured like this in football,” he notes. “I thought it was more of a car accident type of thing.”

Isaiah spent six weeks at CentraCare-St. Cloud Hospital.  

On the gridiron he’d learned about teamwork, and being part of a group.

But now, he’s learning new lessons about the power of friendship and healing.

The community rallied around Isaiah and his family with a crowd-funding effort, and with frequent visits to the hospital.  

“I don’t think there was a night that went by that we didn’t have football players, moms, teachers, the principal,” says Joy Turner, Isaiah’s mother and the dean of students at the school. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. And so, we were just grateful for the support.”

She says players on the team made sure that Isaiah was always updated on their activities.

“Each night they would tell him what happened at practice, and they’d go through the plays and different things,” Joy Turner says. “He felt very much like a part of the team.”

The 16-year-old has been attending practices and games, along with riding on the team bus.  

“He was sitting outside our stadium,” Walter explains. “All our players got to run by him, give him a high-five and hug him, and that was just a great day, a special day for our kids, and I know it was a big deal for him.”

Isaiah now undergoes physical therapy once a week — strength training and stretching.

“The goal is obviously to get to walking without a limp and then move into the running piece,” Joy Turner says. “He’s excited about getting ready for football season in the fall.”

As for himself, Isaiah says he’s taking each day one at a time.

Determined to play again, and to reach the goal line on and off the field.

“The thing I takeaway most is don’t give up on anything, like don’t give up on your dreams and just keep going,” he declares. “Just stay strong and have a strong mind, push through things that get tough.”