Special needs golf group helps B.C. man with brain damage overcome adversity
Looking through albums from her son's athletic past, Cindy More says it's always easy to spot Darren in a team shot.
“He’s got the biggest smile,” Cindy says, pointing to picture after picture of her beaming boy.
Cindy says Darren was a natural athlete, enthusiastic about every sport he tried.
“He would not even take his helmet off for lunch,” she laughs, showing how Darren would quickly shovel his food into his mouth.
“He would down it and he’s right back out again!”
As he grew up, Darren’s exuberance never diminished, and his potential only increased.
“I exuded the proud mama,” Cindy says.
Which is why Cindy will never forget the accident at the hockey rink that changed everything.
“By the time I was able to run down the hall where the change rooms are, Darren was fighting for air,” Cindy says, fighting back tears.
Darren suffered a brain injury, endured emergency surgery, and spent six weeks in a coma.
“And I remember the very first time he lifted a finger,” Cindy says, wiping away her tears.
“I knew he was going to be OK.”
But Darren’s brain was permanently damaged. And the 17-year-old couldn’t do anything by himself.
“He was literally like a bag of mush,” Cindy says.
Then — after eight months in the hospital system and years of rehabilitation — they met Jim McDermott.
“He said, ‘I think I can help your son with golf,’" Cindy recalls.
Jim invited Darren to join a group dubbed "Glorious Golf."
“It’s an inspirational bunch,” Jim smiles.
It’s a group of guys with special needs that Darren now plays with every week.
“My heart just lights up,” Darren smiles. “And it goes like, ‘Darren! You get to go golfing with your buddies!’”
Jim has been volunteering to coach Glorious Golf for the past 13 years.
“We celebrate the good shots together,” Jim says. “And laugh at the bad shots!”
When the guys aren’t sharing compliments and high-fives, they’re teasing each other about hitting trees with balls by yelling, “Timber!”
And like he did playing sports as a boy, Darren finds his smile can’t be contained.
“It’s like happy!” Darren laughs.
It’s a sense of confidence that Cindy couldn’t be more grateful to see.
“Now he’s an even better golfer than his dad,” she laughs.
It’s sharing the joys of life that keeps Jim volunteering.
“You can overcome a challenge on your own," Jim smiles. “But when you're part of a group, that’s really special.”
It’s an opportunity for positivity that Darren says extends well beyond the course.
“Think about what makes you a star,” Darren smiles. “Hold your heart and say, 'I can do this.'”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.