Amazing comeback earns major-league admiration

By Tom Williams

BOARDMAN — Four-year-old Luke Holko of Greene Township is working on a comeback so amazing that he has major-league admiration.

Indians pitchers Chris Perez, Aaron Laffey and David Huff visited the Trumbull County boy, who is recovering from being hit in the head by a foul ball Sept. 5 at a Mahoning Valley Scrappers game, at Akron Children’s Hospital Beeghly Campus.

During the Indians’ press tour gathering Tuesday that attracted about 100 fans, Luke’s mother, Nicole, said her son is making progress every day after the life-threatening injury.

“He’s doing really great,” said Nicole, who added that Luke on Monday was able to take steps “without anybody holding on to him. His talking almost is completely back to where it was before this happened.

“Without everybody’s support and especially everybody’s prayers, we wouldn’t have him,” she said, adding the family’s thanks to the doctors and staff of Akron Children’s Hospital as well as the emergency personnel from Lane Ambulance and St. Elizabeth Health Center who cared for Luke after the accident.

“He’s been getting better every day,” Nicole said. “We have our son back, thanks to them.”

During the Scrappers game at Eastwood Field, Niles, a ball off the bat of Scrappers infielder Ben Carlson hit the back of Luke’s head, fracturing his skull. The broken bone depressed into his brain stem, causing it to swell.

Surgery was done at St. Elizabeth to remove the bone and relieve the pressure. He was then taken to Akron Children’s main campus in Akron, where he was in critical condition for about three weeks as the brain swelling subsided.

On Nov. 5, Luke was released from the Akron hospital.

Luke’s father, Chad, said his son’s first word — “more” — was spoken a few weeks before Christmas.

“Now, we can understand just about every word and he’s able to put words together,” Chad said.

Before the Indians’ appearance, the three pitchers met Luke.

“It’s great to see that he’s doing great,” Laffey said. “He’s a little bashful and shy at first ... but he started to get comfortable with us being there. He was giving us high fives.

“He’s fighting hard, and it’s just an inspiration when a 4-year-old child goes through something like that and keeps fighting,” Laffey said.

She said the support from Indians, Scrappers, Carlson and the community “has been overwhelming.”

“We hope he’s going to be playing for [Class A affiliate] Lake County,” Chad said. “And when he does, we’re taking [Carlson] to an Indians game with us. He’s like a member of the family.”

Nicole said, “When he came to visit us in Akron, he stayed for four hours.”

Asked if they are still baseball fans,” Chad said, “Oh yeah, no reason not to be.”

Nicole said Luke wants to go back to the ballpark.

“His only comment is that we have to sit way, way, way up high,” she said.

williams@vindy.com