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Power of Prayers’ puts Kubisiak back on hardwood

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor
Posted 1/13/21

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS - When Bryant Kubisiak (Ka-Bish-Ik) woke up on October 23, he felt a little sore.

“Almost three months of doing nothing, but hospital visits,” said Kubisiak, a freshman, …

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Power of Prayers’ puts Kubisiak back on hardwood


Posted

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS - When Bryant Kubisiak (Ka-Bish-Ik) woke up on October 23, he felt a little sore.

“Almost three months of doing nothing, but hospital visits,” said Kubisiak, a freshman, 6’-8” (hence nickname Bryant the Giant) freshman center for the Keystone Heights High School junior varsity basketball team. “I remember when I woke that morning, my hip hurt.”

Kubisiak noted that the pain started in the back side of his hip.

“It was a tiny bit stiff the day before, nothing more than a sore day and not stretching after practice,” said Kubisiak.

From that day, until Tuesday (January 5) return to the hardwood against rival Bradford County High, mom Shannon got worried.

“He was walking around like an old man and he is not a complainer,” said Shannon Kubisiak. “He doesn’t exaggerate things and doesn’t show much. He’s very quiet.”

For Shannon Kubisiak, the next three months would be a test of her faith in prayer and some luck, according to doctors.

“He woke with a fever and bad back pain and it just got worse that day,” said Shannon Kubisiak. “I knew this was serious when he couldn’t help around the house and at our Christian camp.”

Kubisiak was taken to the emergency room and diagnosed with an epidural cyst pressing on his spine. The had done a bunch of tests but found the cyst with an MRI. Kubisiak first went to St. Vincent’s but later was taken by ambulance to Wolfson.

“They asked him every question in the book about bug bites, ticks, any injuries in school, getting bumped in the hallways, nothing,” said Kubisiak. “The intensity of the search was because they had said a sack of bacteria had formed and had we not moved quickly to get him to the doctors within 24 hours, he may have been paralyzed.”

Doctors started an aggressive, non-surgical regimen of attack on Bryant to see if the cyst could be eliminated without the very dangerous surgery on his spine.

“From what they said, the sack was inflamed with bacteria and pressing on is spinal column so the surgery would be very delicate,” said Shannon Kubisiak. “It was affecting three of his spinal discs.”

From October 24 through October 29, Kubisiak was at Wolfson with a battery of doctors testing, probing and offering a prognosises.

In a 24 hour period, Kubisiak was given a regimen of four antibiotics and four anti-inflammatories to arrest the cyst.

“I posted on my social media about this 24 hours because that would determine the surgery aspect afterward,” said Shannon Kubisiak. “I had thousands of prayer wishes. The best case scenario was in the hospital for two weeks then a pick line (intravenous drugs) for six weeks and six months of recovery. I just said,”Okay and prepared myself mentally and emotionally to take care of him.”

Kubisiak recovered so fast, according to Shannon Kubisiak, that his initial doctors were sending data to other doctor in consultation as to how fast the treatment was producing a positive result.

“They were calling him a miracle patient,” said Shannon Kubisiak. “Instead of two weeks in the hospital, he went home in five days and with just oral antibiotics without the intravenous drugs. He had way more faith than I did and kept saying he knew a lot of people were praying for him.”

Kubisiak’s next concern was returning to his basketball team.

“I was so out of shape and had to start to get back in playing shape,” said Bryant Kubisiak. “They told me to ease back into getting into shape.”

Shannon Kubisiak was advised that her quick response to getting him to the hospital was critical, but she firmly believed there was another factor.

“They said the speed of our reaction got him looked at in time to address it, but I also believe that our all powerful God had something to do with it,” said Shannon Kubisiak. “They released him early November and said absolutely no physical contact. He had two MRIS; one on December 17 and one on December 22. Today (Tues., Jan. 5 against Bradford County), I got the letter that he was cleared for tonight’s game.”