In photos: Zach Judd's road to recovery
The crash left him with a cracked skull, damaged brain, torn spleen, punctured lung, broken bones in his ear. After 11 days in a coma, four months of rehab, and a year of recovery, he still labours with a short fuse and a patchwork memory, and with frustration and guilt.
Zach Judd during a test at Edmonton’s Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd plays a board game with a fellow patient at Edmonton’s Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd does vestibular exercises, shaking his head back and forth while trying to keep his eyes focused on one spot. Its meant to help him regain his balance.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Physiotherapist Annette Lemke and Zach Judd race for the puck in the hallways of Edmonton's Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd arm wrestles a physiotherapist at Edmonton’s Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd and physiotherapist Annette Lemke during a balance exercise.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd races a therapist in the hallway of Edmonton’s Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, where he spent three months recovering.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Emma, 11, and brother Zach Judd, 16, look at one of the cards he received after the crash.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd sits in his hospital room on the day of his release.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd was released from hospital at the end of February, returning to school the next day. Among the handful of classes he took was gym, where he struggled with balance and other physical feats that had always come easily to him.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
The Grande Prairie Composite High School Warriors gather before their first tournament of 2012.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd, barred by doctors from playing sports, jokes with his teammates before their first tournament in 2012. He’s with the team as an assistant coach.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd during a spring tournament in Edmonton, his first as an assistant coach for the Warriors.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd seen near his home in Grande Prairie September 10, 2012.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Zach Judd seen near his home in Grande Prairie, Alta., September 10, 2012.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
A multiple-exposure image of Zach Judd catching a football near his home in Grande Prairie September 10, 2012.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail