Eight minutes in the Cork SFC final replay against St. Finbarr's last October, Nemo Rangers' Cian McWhinney was involved in an accidental collision.
For a period, he was without feeling or movement from the neck down. It was eventually diagnosed as a spinal cord contusion. He has thankfully since recovered.
"It actually happened right by me," said teammate Barry O'Driscoll ahead of this weekend's AIB All-Ireland Club Football Championship semi-final against Slaughtneil.
"I went over and looked down at him and he was kind of lying awkwardly and I just kind of went, 'Are you alright?'. He just said straight out, 'I can't feel my legs'.
"It kind of washed over me and I just didn't think much of it. I just thought it was one of those things and I didn't think of the seriousness of it and I asked him was he sure. He said yeah and then I started motioning to people to come on and he didn't move.
"And then the way he was lying made a lot more sense because he couldn't actually move himself. He told me a few weeks later when we were talking about it, he thought his arm was up in the air and his arm was actually under him. He just couldn't feel anything like. Very scary."
Shortly after the game, Nemo players were relieved to receive word that feeling and movement had returned to McWhinney's limbs.
When you're watching him get taken away in an ambulance, we'd to play another 50 minutes of a game there. It puts a lot of things in perspective. His mom and his girlfriend were around and you could see them following the St John's down the tunnel.
You're thinking 'what the hell' but we got a call I'd say 20 minutes after the game that he'd started getting movement back already and he actually came down to the club that night for a half hour which was brilliant to see him.
I don't know should he have because he was walking very gingerly but it was brilliant to see him and just to know that he was back up on his feet because you just don't know how those things are going to turn out.
McWhinney is now doing well. He was down to watch his teammates earlier this month for their opening league game of the season against Mallow.
"He's a very low key guy," added O'Driscoll. "He wouldn't be looking for people to put the arm around him. He's about the team and that. He's just getting on with it."
"I think he returned to work this week or last even. So he's well down the road and making a full recovery which is brilliant.
"In regards to him playing, I don't think that's a decision he's made or will be making for another while. But in regards to his recovery, he's doing brilliantly and he's almost there."
Nemo Rangers' Barry O’Driscoll is pictured ahead of the AIB GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Club Championship Semi-Final taking place at O’Connor Park on Saturday, 17th of February where the Cork club will face Derry’s Slaughtneil. For exclusive content and behind the scenes action throughout the AIB GAA & Camogie Club Championships follow AIB GAA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat and www.aib.ie/gaa. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
