A Georgia teenager has survived a life-threatening head
injury on the soccer pitch that put him in a coma — and when he
woke up, he was only speaking fluent Spanish.
Reuben Nsemoh, a 16-year-old goalkeeper at Brookwood High
School, was kicked in the head weeks ago diving for a loose ball,
his third concussion. He stopped breathing and was in a coma for
three days.
When he woke up, he couldn't speak English, but he was able to
speak fluent Spanish, a language he couldn't speak before. The teen
told WSB radio in Georgia he thinks maybe he picked it up from his
friends and his brother. As his ability to speak English returned,
his Spanish fluency has faded out, although he still continues to
speak Spanish.
"My friends would always talk to me in Spanish and would teach
me," he said.
Nsemoh said he wants to return to playing soccer once he
recovers, but his coach said he won't let him back without a
helmet. For now, the teenager hasn't returned to school as he
continues to recover from the injury, and it's unclear when, or if,
he'll be able to play again.
"Sometimes I daze out," the teen told WSB-TV. "Sometimes I feel
like I'm not here, but I am."
The family has set up a GoFundMe page for his medical
expenses.