Justin Isaac is known across the island as a hockey guy.
“I was in PeeWee when he came out for a practice as a Panther. I just always looked up to him, he’s a great guy,” said Josh Lingard who himself also plays with the Peninsula Panthers.
Isaac both played and coached with the Peninsula Panthers, and is someone many players here on the island look up to.
“I’ve known Justin for years, I watched him play for the Panthers when I was a kid. He was one of my favorite players actually,” said Panthers forward Tanner Wrot.
More recently Isaac was overseas coaching at a hockey academy in China.
“He works a lot with youth and growing the game, that’s why he’s in China right now,” said friend Jackson Skerratt.
But late last week, he suffered a devastating injury.
“I don’t have too much memory of it I was leaving dinner with my friend and I was walking down the street and then I just remember waking up on the side of the road. My leg was broke and my bone was sticking out of my leg,” said Isaac, via Skype from his hospital bed in China.
Isaac was hit by a car in busy Beijing. He broke both bones in his left leg, spending an hour and a half in – 10-degree weather before help arrived.
Since then he’s undergone one surgery but needs a second, which his family hopes will be here in Canada so he can be home for the holidays.
“It’s really unfortunate. I can’t imagine what he’s going through right now, and his family, so hopefully he can get the necessary funding to get back home,” said Skerratt.
Isaac needs to pass some medical tests Wednesday and Thursday before he gets cleared to fly. If he is given a clean bill of health, he’s hoping to fly home on Monday.
Once his friends heard the extent of his injury and the costs, they started a GoFundMe page to help bring him home. So far, Isaac says the outpouring of love has been amazing.
“It’s been incredible to see just how many people have offered support,” said Isaac.
Other than getting him home for the holidays, the fundraiser will help with the other inevitable rehab costs and loss of wages Isaac will face.
So Isaac will only have to worry about getting back on his feet, and to the game he loves so much.
Kori Sidaway
