A University of Minnesota first-year student remains in critical condition at the Hennepin County Medical Center after sustaining brain injuries from a fall off a wall early Saturday morning. Kai Wilson , a native of Minnetonka, spent his 19th birthday Tuesday in a medically induced coma in the neuropsychology center of the hospitalâÄôs intensive care unit. He was injured while walking with a friend back to his room in Territorial Hall room after attending a Halloween Party. The accident occurred at the retaining walls on the south side of Northrop Plaza , University police Lt. Troy Buhta said. âÄúIt sounds like they were coming from a house party and were jumping off retaining walls and one way or another he ended up landing on his head,âÄù Buhta said. âÄúThereâÄôs no clear picture on how that actually happened. No one actually saw.âÄù Police donâÄôt know which party he was coming home from or whether alcohol played a role in the accident, Buhta said. âÄúWeâÄôre talking with friends, trying to get a better idea what happened,âÄù he said. âÄúWeâÄôre trying to trace the footsteps of where he was that night.âÄù WilsonâÄôs mother, Janie Dahl , said he had emergency brain surgery to relieve swelling and bleeding on the right side of his brain in the hours after he was admitted to HCMC Saturday. He was put into a chemically induced coma in an attempt to stabilize his condition. Doctors are assessing his situation âÄúday by day,âÄù she said. Wilson wonâÄôt be returning to the University this semester, she said, so family and friends helped move his possessions out of his fourth-floor room in Territorial Hall on Monday. Currently, only relatives are able to visit him, but friends and loved ones are expressing their support on his Facebook page and a blog provided by the non-profit organization Caring Bridge , each of which had around 150 messages of support as of Tuesday evening. âÄúI think everyone is kind of putting their life on hold right now,âÄù Dahl said. âÄúBut we appreciate the support of all his friends in the dorms and hope for him to return to school as soon as the doctors clear him.âÄù Mustafa Hassan , a University student who attended Wayzata High School with Wilson and has known him since eighth grade, said WilsonâÄôs friends âÄî both from Wayzata and the dorms âÄî miss him. âÄúHe was just a sweet guy, outgoing, everyone loved him,âÄù he said. Most of WilsonâÄôs friends donâÄôt know what happened the night of the accident, and are stunned it could happen to someone they know, Hassan said. âÄúWhen the accident happened I wasnâÄôt here, one of my friends called me and told me,âÄù he said. âÄúI thought it was a joke.âÄù Dahl said she expected visitors to be allowed in coming weeks as his prognosis improved. âÄúIt was an unfortunate accident,âÄù she said, âÄúwith life-changing consequences.âÄù
University first-year in critical condition at HCMC
Published October 28, 2008
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