John Michael Night inspires community with steps at Trinity Prep

A few steps forward never meant so much. On Saturday they not only inspired a packed auditorium at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, they embodied a glimmer of hope for one young man.

Trinity Prep senior and lacrosse star John Michael Night has thrived under pressure on the turf lacrosse field, but on Saturday he received roaring applause for a much greater feat: standing and walking at his own graduation.

Three classmates helped hold Night, who was shuffled toward Trinity Prep Principal Dennis Herron to receive his diploma, showing the most outward signs of improvement since tragedy struck him late last year.

Night’s world was turned upside down when he suffered a brain stem stroke last December, leaving him with locked-in syndrome that has taken away most of his ability to move other than his eyes.

The Trinity Prep Saint returned home to Winter Park on May 24 to hundreds of supporters and well-wishers lining Park Avenue. Night had spent the past several months at the Shepard Rehab Center in Atlanta – one of only two facilities in the country that focuses specifically on brain and spinal cord rehabilitation. Classmates, friends, and many people who Night has likely never met wore the number “24” – the number Night sported on his lacrosse uniform.

The support from the community coupled with the emotional graduation ceremony has been difficult to describe, said Night’s father, Mick Night.

“The emotions were frankly beyond words, like that whole experience,” Mick said. “It was a great day…. It was a wonderful moment.”

Today, Night is continuing his physical and speech therapy from home. A gym in his garage that was once used for lacrosse training is now being converted into a new gym to suit Night’s needs.

His determination to walk and speak mirrors the same drive he showed on the lacrosse field, Mick said. Countless repetitions in the faceoff circle led Night to become one of the top faceoff takers in the state of Florida, a fact that Mercer University in Georgia noticed when they offered Night a full scholarship to play lacrosse.

Now Night shows the same heart and determination through his therapy, whether he’s attempting to sound out words or walking a treadmill from a hoist sling. Night’s drive amazes Mick every day, he said.

“There’s only so much you can do with your strength, your mind and your faith,” Mick said. “You just have to keep getting up every day and get back to work and get back to therapy. That’s what he does with a smile on his face – a game face on.”

“To be around him and to watch him do what he does day in and day out…. There’s nothing more powerful I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s inspirational to say the least, and anyone who’s been around him has experienced that.”

Night has seen progress over the past six months. He now has a small amount of movement in his wrists and fingers and can almost bend his arm to touch his face. He’s also capable of saying a handful of words one at a time, though strained and difficult to hear.

“The signs are there, we just don’t know what the timeline will be for how far he’ll go,” Mick said. “No one does.”

For now Night mainly communicates with his eyes. Working with his family on a letter board as they point to each letter across a series of rows. When they reach a letter he wants, Night’s eyes open wide to say so.

Night used that very method to send his Trinity Prep classmates a message on Saturday, written the day before and read by Principal Herron.

“This past year I’ve learned a lot about what it means to part of the Trinity family,” Herron read. “I celebrate this day with not only my classmates, but my brothers and sisters. I will never be able to repay what this school has done for me. I could never have done this without my family, my friends and Julia (his girlfriend) of course. Thank you for your love and support. Momma, we made it. Ad Astra per aspera (to the stars through challenge).”