Alex Suarez is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Corona del Sol for AZPreps365.com 

Corona del Sol junior Keona Peat was participating in a summer basketball game in June this past summer where he wound up breaking his tibia. What occurred during pre-op surgery would lead Peat on a long triumphant road back to recovery. 

Peat had an allergic reaction to the general anesthesia, sending his body into shock, causing his lungs to shut down. He was then intubated and put in the intensive care unit. In the process his vocal cord was hit, leaving his vocal cord paralyzed. While also causing him to not be able to speak.

The next thing he remembered was waking up a few days later, surgery unsuccessful due to the allergic reaction — with more surgeries to now follow. He would go in the next day to fix the broken tibia sustained at his basketball game. After three long weeks in the hospital, Peat would be discharged, with severe nerve damage, a paralyzed vocal cord and nerve damage in his left arm. 

Doctors expected that Peat would not be able to play this season. The feeding tube was not expected to come out for about six months. The nerve damage sustained has no timetable on when it could return. Everything else that doctors told Peat, however, healed faster than expected, including the tibia that was broken four months prior. The strides taken everyday by Peat were a testament to those by his side.

Peat’s road to recovery started with the strong support system he had around him. His parents Jana and Todd Peat were by his side throughout his weeks in the hospital. 

“It was pretty much everyone I can think of,” Peat said. “Starting off with my family. My mom spent everyday in the hospital that I spent. For that month she slept on a chair in the hospital with me every single day." 

Peat was also receiving countless texts from family and friends. Corona del Sol basketball and football teammates, as well as friends and family, would gather outside his hospital window while Peat was in the hospital with balloons and posters showing their support, waving to him and saying that they loved him. Peat said seeing the support from his coaches and teammates helped raise his spirits.

Corona del Sol has a saying “Fight the Fight” and that message was constantly being told to Peat from Aztec coaches. Head coach John Becktold was calling Peat’s father almost everyday to check in on him and see how he’s doing. Becktold would tell Peat that “God always has a plan,” a motto Peat lives by.

Peat’s first appearance in a game came two weeks ago, an emotional return for not only himself but his parents and everyone else besides him on his road to recovery. Peat’s return was exciting and emotional for everyone. 

“It was good to be back out there. It felt relieving,” Peat said. “I got emotional before the game. It was unbelievable that I was stepping on a field again. I was in my pads and my helmet, with my guys.” 

His mother Jana added, “I’m completely overwhelmed and proud of him and what he went through. I was very thankful he survived what he went through in the hospital. He was so determined to get better and taking big strides everyday.” 

Peat has inspired many on his road to recovery and is continuing to do that each and everyday.

“He touched so many people in that hospital,” his mother said. “Doctors and nurses formed a bond with him that neither will forget.”

Peat’s progress has been tremendous — and he has no plans of stopping now.