For Jablonski, What a Difference Four Months Make

I still vividly remember the , held on Jan. 2 at the Hennepin County Medical Center.

It was one of the more somber things I've covered in my young career. As the cliche goes, you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. It was the type of story no reporter wants to cover, because it's the type of thing no one wants to see happen.

Three days earlier, Jablonski had been left paralyzed by a hit he took during a junior varsity game at the . The game was part of a holiday tournament, but now, the Jablonski family was spending their New Year's holiday dealing with fear, uncertainty and sadness.

Fast forward to Wednesday, and man how things have changed. The latest Jablonski press conference, held at the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Minneapolis on the day of Jack's discharge, had a . Gone was the fear and sadness, replaced with hope, pride and joy. It was a day to congratulate Jack on making progress in rehab and being able to finally go home.

Of course, that's not to say fear and sadness, along with uncertainty, don't still linger for Jablonski and his family. And of course, if they could turn back the clock, they would. But it's clear that they're approaching this with the best attitude possible—a positive attitude that rubs off on reporters in the room.

I'm excited to see what Jack does next. He clearly has the drive and motivation to excel, despite his injury. And if he can go this far in just four months, imagine what the rest of his life holds.