CINCINNATI -- Ryan Custer’s dad said it’s been difficult to see his son struggle, but he also said it's been uplifting to see Ryan's spirit strengthen as he begins to tackle therapy.
Custer, an Elder alumnus and Wright State University freshman, suffered a traumatic injury Saturday at a large party in Oxford, Ohio after he tried to jump into a shallow, makeshift pool.
Custer was able to sit up in bed with someone behind him, and he was able to move his arms to his mouth, his dad posted on Ryan Custer’s Recovery PageThursday.
Part of the post read:
“His attitude has been so much brighter today and he is aggressively tackling therapy. For today anyway. We know he will have plenty of ups and downs. We have shared a couple of pictures with you of him sitting up in bed, during therapy, with someone holding him. Also they taped his suction thing to his left wrist so he can move it up to his mouth on his own. Baby steps, but every little one is going to add up to huge results down the line.”
His dad also said Ryan is having trouble differentiating days and nights and his is having trouble sleeping. But Ryan made him feel better when he looked at him and mouthed, “I got this.”
Custer graduated from Elder last spring, and he just completed his first season at Wright State. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 9.8 minutes in 32 games this season. He had a season-high nine points against the University of Illinois at Chicago Feb. 24.
Later, supporters posted that Custer felt them touching his feet.
Custer is from Delhi Township, and his family is part of Our Lady of Victory Catholic parish.
